ECO Health Tourism Summit and Ardabil Health Tourism Exhibition
The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) was initially established in 1984 with the participation of three countries: Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan, based on the Izmir Treaty, with the aim of raising the economic standard of living of the people of the region. Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan joined the organization in 1992. Other goals of the organization include expanding intra-regional and trans-regional trade, as well as efforts to integrate the trade of the countries of the region with world trade. The ECO Affairs Department was formed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to enhance the level of cooperation between member countries. In this regard, the ECO Department cooperates with relevant domestic and foreign ministries and organizations. In fact, this department is responsible for coordinating domestic institutions with the Secretariat and relevant parties in other member countries. Health tourism has become a promising area of activity for the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
The second international conference and exhibition of health tourism was held in Ardabil from June 18 to 20, 2019. The conference was held at the University of Mohaghegh Ardabili with the participation of ECO member countries, representatives of ECO member countries, members of the National Health Policy Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Medical System Organization, and the Tourism Organization, along with Iranian and international guests. As usual, Kianoyan Mehr Iranian Co. participated in this conference for the purpose of interaction and cooperation, and hosted the guests of the Ardabil Health Tourism Exhibition at its booth. The panels held at this exhibition by Kianoyan Mehr Iranian Co. led to cooperation agreements between several countries and domestic partners.
On the sidelines of this conference, an exhibition was held at the Ardabil International Exhibition Center with the participation of medical universities, health tourism agencies, private health tourism facilitating companies, public and private hospitals, insurance companies, and science and technology parks, where all participants presented the achievements of their units in the field of health tourism and presented the capabilities of the IPD departments. The ECO Health Tourism Conference was held in two parts: the conference and the exhibition, and in parallel. The conference part of this event had four panels on the development of health tourism clusters, branding and marketing, startups and health tourism facilitators, and cultural and development issues among ECO countries.
Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan are member countries of the ECO Economic Cooperation Organization.