Presidents of Turkic Ski Resorts Held Their First Meeting
On 23 September 2024, in Istanbul, at the Secretariat of the Organization of Turkic States (TDT), the Presidents of Turkic Ski Resorts held their first meeting. The meeting, chaired by TDT Deputy Secretary General Dr. Mirvokhid Azimov, was attended by Burak Beceren, Authorized Re
On 23 September 2024, in Istanbul, at the Secretariat of the Organization of Turkic States (TDT), the Presidents of Turkic Ski Resorts held their first meeting. The meeting, chaired by TDT Deputy Secretary General Dr. Mirvokhid Azimov, was attended by Burak Beceren, Authorized Representative of Uludağ Ski Resort, along with Rustam Najafov, President of Shahdağ Ski Resort (Azerbaijan), Rinat Abdrakhmanov, General Manager of Shymbulak Ski Resort (Kazakhstan), and Rustam Raimjanov, General Manager of Amirsoy Ski Resort (Uzbekistan).
In his opening speech, Dr. Azimov underlined the unique natural resources possessed by the Turkic states and emphasized the importance of cooperation in the field of winter tourism. He also recalled the joint initiative and cooperation commitments adopted at the 7th Meeting of TDT Ministers Responsible for Tourism held in the city of Shamakhi, Azerbaijan, in 2022.
One of the most important developments of the meeting was the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for the establishment of the Union of Turkic Ski Resorts. This new formation aims to strengthen cooperation among ski resorts, develop joint projects, and encourage the sharing of knowledge, thereby advancing winter tourism in the Turkic states.
In addition, plans to develop joint marketing strategies to promote the ski resorts as a single destination were also discussed at the meeting. Within this scope, projects such as a joint subscription system (a single card), a shared calendar of sports and entertainment events, and an annual Turkic States Ski and Snowboard Cup were brought to the agenda. The Union will remain open to the participation of new members in the future.
The participants once again reaffirmed their determination to strengthen infrastructure, improve visitor experiences, and contribute to the development of winter tourism in the Turkic states. In line with the decision taken at the meeting, Shahdağ Ski Resort assumed the first presidency of the Union of Turkic Ski Resorts, while Orkhan Badalov was appointed Secretary General of the Union for a two-year term.
We believe this historic step is an important beginning for developing and strengthening winter tourism in the Turkic world, and as Uludağ Ski Resort we are delighted to be a part of this process.