Copenhagen, 23 February 2026 — GapEdu – Global Consultancy on Development Policy and Practice – held a high-level strategic meeting with His Excellency Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), during his official visit to Denmark.
Represented by its Co-Founder, Mr. Jyrki Nilson, GapEdu presented a forward-looking framework for a Regional Tourism Positioning & Governance Initiative for the Turkic States. The proposal outlines a coordinated, policy-level approach designed to strengthen intra-regional tourism competitiveness while enhancing sustainable tourism flows between the Turkic region and Europe.
The initiative moves beyond traditional destination marketing. It introduces a structured positioning architecture aimed at elevating the Turkic region as a coherent and globally differentiated tourism corridor.
The strategic framework focuses on:
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Regional differentiation and collective positioning in the global tourism landscape
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Economic value creation through structured tourism trade and cross-border corridor development
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Sustainability and governance alignment in support of long-term regional cooperation
H.E. Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev welcomed the strategic orientation of the proposal and expressed interest in advancing further technical consultations in 2026. The discussion emphasized the importance of positioning tourism not merely as promotion, but as a strategic instrument of regional integration and institutional development.
The Organization of Turkic States comprises Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan as Member States, with Hungary, Turkmenistan, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as Observer States. Spanning Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Anatolia, OTS continues to deepen cooperation across economic, cultural, and connectivity dimensions — with tourism increasingly recognized as a key pillar of sustainable regional integration.
GapEdu remains committed to supporting multilateral institutions and governments in designing practical, policy-driven solutions that enhance governance coherence, competitiveness, and inclusive development.