04 Feb UCLG-MEWA Committee on Culture and Tourism Holds New Term Meeting in Muğla
The first official meeting of the UCLG-MEWA Committee on Culture and Tourism for the 2025–2028 term will be held in Muğla on February 7, hosted by Muğla Metropolitan Municipality. The meeting, which will take place in Akyaka, will be chaired by Muğla Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Aras, who also serves as the President of the Coastal Aegean Municipalities Union and as Chair of the Committee on Culture and Tourism of the United Cities and Local Governments Middle East and West Asia (UCLG-MEWA).
The meeting will be attended by UCLG-MEWA Secretary General Dr. Mehmet Duman; Issa Nazzal, Vice Mayor of Beit Jala Municipality (Palestine); Şanlıurfa Mayor Mehmet Kasım Gülpınar, who also serves as the UCLG-MEWA Cultural Ambassador; and the Committee Co-Chairs Hasan Kılca, Mayor of Karatay, and Ali Ertuğrul Bul, Mayor of Ürgüp. Participants will also include Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serhan Ada, Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair in Cultural Policy and Cultural Diplomacy at İstanbul Bilgi University; Dr. Azize Ökten, Deputy Secretary General of the UNESCO National Commission of Türkiye; and Jordi Pascual, Deputy Secretary General of UCLG and Coordinator of the Culture Committee, along with representatives of the tourism sector. The meeting will be held in a hybrid format, bringing together approximately 70 local government representatives to discuss the future of culture and tourism in the region.
A Roadmap for the New Term to Be Defined
Within the scope of the meeting, it is aimed to present the Committee’s new vision for the 2025–2028 term; to address current regional and local trends in the fields of culture and tourism; to discuss tourism, sustainability, and cultural governance; to evaluate the activities carried out during the 2022–2025 period; and to define strategic priorities and the working calendar for the post-2026 period.
The meeting is of great importance in enhancing the international visibility of Muğla’s city diplomacy approach, internationalization goals, and sustainable tourism vision through the platform of the United Cities and Local Governments.
Regional Cooperation in Culture and Tourism Meets in Muğla
The UCLG-MEWA Committee on Culture and Tourism continues its work as a thematic committee focusing on culture and tourism under the Middle East and West Asia regional section of the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).
As of October 3, 2025, the Chairmanship of the Committee has been carried out by Muğla Metropolitan Municipality. The Committee includes a total of 65 member municipalities from Türkiye, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, and Palestine.
Mayor Aras: “Cities Must Act Together for Sustainable Tourism”
In his remarks regarding the meeting, Muğla Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Aras, who also serves as the President of the Coastal Aegean Municipalities Union, emphasized that culture and tourism play a strategic role in shaping the future of cities, stating the following:
“As President of the Committee on Culture and Tourism of the United Cities and Local Governments Middle East and West Asia, we are very pleased to host the first meeting of the new term in Muğla. Culture and tourism are not merely areas of economic activity; they are fundamental elements that preserve the identity of cities, make local values visible, and enable sustainable development. Issues such as overtourism pressure, the climate crisis, and the protection of cultural heritage are now part of the shared agenda of all cities. Through this meeting, we aim to strengthen the exchange of experience among local governments, develop joint solutions, and establish a strong framework and strategy for regional cooperation.”
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