The completion of the preparation of the Agreement text, aimed at strengthening cooperation within the tourism industry of SCO countries and SCO dialogue partner countries (as of November 2025 — 27 countries), was announced at the first international conference organized by the China Tourism Services Association (CTSA) in October 2025 in Sanya, Hainan Province, PRC. The first signatories to the Agreement were the CTSA and the Association for International Cooperation in Tourism “World Without Borders,” which acted as an international partner and co-organizer of the conference.

The idea of preparing and concluding a framework Agreement was first formulated and discussed following the 2nd SCO International Tourism Forum “Tourism Unites the Silk Road Countries. Dialogue of Professionals,” held on December 17–18, 2024, and endorsed by the Ministers of Tourism of the SCO countries as an annual regular event. The contribution of the Chinese side to coordinating the text of the Agreement became one of the significant outcomes of China’s SCO Chairmanship in 2024–2025.

The idea of preparing and concluding a framework Agreement was first formulated and discussed following the 2nd SCO International Tourism Forum “Tourism Unites the Silk Road Countries. Dialogue of Professionals,” held on December 17–18, 2024, and endorsed by the Ministers of Tourism of the SCO countries as an annual regular event. The contribution of the Chinese side to coordinating the text of the Agreement became one of the significant outcomes of China’s SCO Chairmanship in 2024–2025.

The Summit traditionally brings together national and international tourism associations, consortia, and corporations from all continents (except Antarctica), contributing to the strengthening of international ties and the formation of a unified tourism space. International initiatives are launched and long-term agreements are reached on its platform.

During the event in Hangzhou, the main areas of potential joint project activities between organizations representing different segments of the tourism industry of SCO countries were outlined and preliminarily discussed.

The SCO International Tourism Forum “Tourism Unites the Silk Road Countries. Dialogue of Professionals,” held in accordance with the Plan approved by the Ministers of Tourism of the SCO countries, serves as the key platform for discussing activities within the framework of the Agreement and for shaping project initiatives.

The official Forum webpage is available via the link (here). It also allows organizations to submit an application for registration and inclusion in the Forum ecosystem, enabling participation in the general chat, individual communications, and other digital services.

Any organization that is registered and operates within the SCO geographic area (the list of countries is available via the link) may submit an application to join the Agreement and participate in relevant projects.

We recommend reviewing the current rules for accepting applications and other documents governing joint activities under the Agreement.