ABSTRACT
The Silk Road Tourism Programme was initiated by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). This programme was first proposed in 1993, at the 10th Plenary Meeting of UNWTO in Indonesia. In 1994, at the 1st Silk Road International Conference in Samarkand City with the representatives of 19 countries, the “Samarkand declaration for the tourism of the Silk Road” was passed, which indicated a formal initiation of this programme. In the general action plan of this programme, the following objectives are specified. Improve cultural and environmental management through the development of the tourist industry; assist the Silk Road countries in establishing an advanced cultural management system; improve sustainability of development; protect the natural environment; and strengthen their tourism competitiveness through these measures. Through an objective of promoting economic development of the Silk Road countries, this programme highly conforms to the Belt and Road Initiative with a broad cooperation space.
