The Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The visit began in the city of Santa Fe. The delegation first met with Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber. The meeting was also attended by Carol Lopez, Chair of  U.S. Sister Cities International (SCI); Randy Randall, Director of Tourism at City of Santa Fe; Andrea Phillips, Deputy City Manager of Santa Fe; and Andrea Salazar, city clerk.

During the meeting, the parties proposed cooperation in the fields of medical tourism, gastronomic tourism, and youth tourism. In addition, an agreement was reached to publish information about Bukhara’s tourism potential in the media outlets of the State of New Mexico.

As part of the visit, a conference was held at the initiative of the Santa Fe mayor’s office. It was attended by Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber, heads of the New Mexico Tourism Department, and about 20 representatives of the tourism, handicrafts, healthcare, and transportation sectors.

During the event, a “Cooperation Agreement” was signed between the Santa Fe mayor’s office and the Bukhara regional administration to further strengthen bilateral relations in tourism, handicrafts, culture, and cultural heritage.

At the conference, the honorary medal “Turizm fidoyisi” was ceremonially awarded to former Santa Fe Mayor Carol Robertson Lopez for her tremendous contribution to the long-standing sister-city relations between Santa Fe and Bukhara, her active promotion of Uzbekistan’s tourism and handicraft potential in the United States, as well as for her dedication and significant efforts in effectively mobilizing partner organizations.

Additionally, the Bukhara regional delegation, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Washington, held a series of productive bilateral meetings. In particular, during discussions with Ms. Laurel Victoria Gray, honorary lecturer at George Washington University and George Mason University and head of the “Silk Road Dance” ensemble; Ms. Christine Warnke, President of The Javelin Group LLC; Mr. Andres Hayes, President of the tourism company Skal International and the investment company Airtifae Group; Ms. Angie M. Gates, President of Events DC; and Mr. Roy Sherman, Executive Director of this organization, the parties discussed expanding cooperation in tourism, culture, and investment.