CLUSTERING SILK ROAD COUNTRIES BASED ON COMPETITIVENESS FACTORS IN TOURISM INDUSTRY - Tourism in Central Asia: Cultural Potential and Challenges - page 206

ucts and services, which will eventually create competitive advantage for
a certain destination.
SILK ROAD COUNTRIES AND PROJECT
The ancient Silk Road is perhaps the greatest and well-known route in
history, which connected China and Europe and directed trade in ancient
times (Akayev, 2001; Buyers, 2003; Kantarci, 2006; UNWTO Silk Road
Action Plan, 2012/2013). The Silk Road formed the first bridge between
East and West and increased trade among the ancient Empires of China,
India, Persia, and Rome. “The route dating back to 200 B.C. was a channel
for contact between people and cultures, inspiring the exchange of dia-
log, art, religion, ideas, and technology. This ancient route has a very rich
diverse cultural heritage and natural tourism attractions along its 12,000
kilometers” (UNWTO Silk Road Action Plan 2012/2013). “The huge area
from Japan and China, through Central Asia, to Turkey and Europe is con-
nected by one single string—the Silk Road” (WTO, 1998).
Nowadays, the Silk Road has a chance to get its popularity back again.
To do this, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) is playing a distin-
guishing role. The Organization initiated a Silk Road program in 1991
when the newly independent Central Asian republics came into the politi-
cal arena. By the same token, Central Asian countries play a critical role in
this project like in old days (Silk Road Action Plan, 2012/2013).
The aim of the Silk Road Program is to focus on the establishment of
collaborative and sustainable tourism growth for the states on the route.
Member states of the Silk Road program bear big differences in terms
of economic structure, cultural aspects, infrastructure, geography, policy,
rules and regulations and so forth.
In 1993, WTO initiated a long-term project to organize and promote the
Silk Road as a tourism product concept. In 1994, 19 participating nations
arranged a meeting and developed the historic Samarkand Declaration on
the Silk Road Tourism. At the Bukhara Declaration participants stressed
the benefits of sustainable tourism and outlined specific steps to develop
and sustain cultural and ecological tourism along the Silk Road Route.
Afterwards, certain important developments and arrangements were ac-
complished (Silk Road Action Plan, 2012/2013).