Uzbekistan | Proposing a UNESCO Media Literacy Strategy for the Development of Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs

The 43rd session of the General Conference of The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Orgnization (UNESCO) opened in Samarkand, an iconic city located in southeastern Uzbekistan, among the oldest and continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia, known for its majestic mosques and mausoleums and to situated on the emblematic Silk Road, the ancient trade route linking China to the Mediterranean.

The conference brought together heads of state government, leaders of international organisations, and delegations from around the world, and speaking at the solemn ceremony, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized the country’s role as bridge between East and West, North and South, as reported by the head’s of state press service. 

Uzbekistan’s President said that in recent years, the country as an equal member of UNESCO, has been taking consistent steps aimed at raising interaction with the organisation to a qualitatively new level. In particular, the five - year cooperation programme until 2027 is being effectively implemented. 

The leader of the Central Asian country put forward a number of initiative among them the establishment of the UNESCO International Insitute of Digital Heritage, the launch of the “UNESCO Ecological Capital” initiative and he also proposed declaring 19 November as the International Day of Documentary Heritage. 

Uzbekistan President paid particular attention to the sectors of science and technology, proposing to create a UNESCO platform for the development of inclusive education for children with special needs, holding a World Summit on Teachers.

This development features a focus on equity and access, which means creating accessible physical and learning environments, alongside flexible teaching and support. Key features include a collaborative approach among teachers, specialists, and parents, and the use of assistive technology to help students with disabilities participate fully alongside their no - disabled peers. Other important aspects are adapting curricula and assessments to individual needs and providing ongoing training for all teachers to foster inclusive practices.

The initiative is part of a broader set of proposals from Uzbekistan, which also includes developing a comprehensive strategy for media and information literacy and an International Forum of Experts on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) under the auspices of UNESCO. 

Finally the President of Uzbekistan recalled that about 20 objects of the country’s intangible cultural heritage have been included in the UNESCO list. The opening ceremony concluded with a concert featuring works of Uzbek classical music and world heritage performed in a contemporary style by a symphony orchestra, choir, and national ensemble.

Link 
https://tvbrics.com/en/news/president-of-uzbekistan-proposes-unesco-media-literacy-strategy/

Peru | Included in the Prestigious “Best Countries for Food “ Category of the Readers’s Choice Awards

Peru has been included in the prestigious “Best Countries for Food” category of the Readers’ Choice Awards 2025 of Condé Nast Traveller United Kingdom, one of the most important recognitions in the international tourism sector as reported the Peruvian Commission for the Promotion of Exports and Tourism (PROMPERÚ). 

The South American country is considered a favourite gastronomic destination in 2025 having won “Best Culinary Destination in Latin America”, and “Best Culinary City in Latin  America” for Lima at the world Culinary Awards, and the World Travel Awards for its cuisine, highlighting its unique blend of traditional and modern culinary diverse ingredients, and influential chefs.

The Readers’ Choice Awards highlight the experience most valued by travellers around the world and in this edition, nearly 200.000 British readers of the publication shared their travel recommendations and experiences, voting for their favourite airlines, cities, destinations, hotels and experience and the results of the the 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards will be included in the magazine’s November issue.

This relevant recognition was delivered by Condé Nast Traveller, luxury and lifestyle travel  magazine considered among the oldest, most influential and respected in the tourism industry, published by Condé Nast, a prestigious global mass media company based in New York, U.S., founded in 1909 by Condé Montrose, and owned by Advance Publications, directly reflecting the real preferences and experiences of international travellers. 

This award reaffirms Peru’s position as one of the world’s leading gastronomic destinations. Peruvian gastronomy’s success stems from a combination of its extraordinary biodiversity, diverse cultural fusions, and the innovative spirit of its chefs.

The country’s unique geography provides a vast array of local ingredients, from the Andes and Amazon to the Pacific Ocean, which are blended with influence from Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and other immigrant cultures. 

This fusion showcased through globally recognized dishes from the traditional  "ceviche", "anticuchos" and "lomo saltado" to its contemporary haute cuisine  has led to international awards, frequent appearances on world’s best restaurant lists, a boom in gastronomic tourism and today Peruvian gastronomy continues to captivate and consolidates its leadership in the global culinary scene.

According to the UK Tourist Profile prepared by PROMPERÚ’s Tourism In, 99% of British visitors  to the country carry out activities related to gastronomy, which confirms the great interest in the country’s culinary culture.

Among the most popular experiences are visits to picanterías and regional or local restaurants (94%) tours of markets and fairs where local supplies are purchased (75%) and tastings of organic products.

PROMPERÚ, an entity attached to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETOUR) , leads a comprehensive promotion strategy aimed at promoting travel to Peru motivated by gastronomy, through the positioning of the national culinary offer.

To this end, two international versions of the emblematic gastronomic fair “Peru, Mucho Gusto” have been successfully developed in the cities of Madrid in April and New York, U.S. in September. The next international edition will be held in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, at the beginning of December, another relevant move to consolidate the successful Peruvian gastronomy globally.

Link 
https://infoturlatam.com/peru-destino-gastronomico-favorito-por-conde-nast-traveller/

Egypt | Launched its National Health Tourism Platform to Become a Global Medical and Wellness Hub by 2030

Egypt has announced the launch of its National Health Tourism Platform, a key initiative within the government’s strategy to become a global medical and wellness tourism hub by 2030, with the aim to position itself as one of the world’s top ten destinations in these segments.

The announcemenrt was made by Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel - Ghaffar during a meeting of the National Council for Health Tourism.

With his strategic initiative Egypt aims to integrate technology, healthcare, and tourism to create a comprehensive ecosystem that supports its long - term vision, part of the country’s National Health Tourism Strategy 2030, which focuses on digital transformation, human resource development, sustainable infrastructure, and global promotion. The platform also seeks to boost transparency, improve service accessibility, and position Egypt as a competitive regional hub for medical excellence.

The new platform will serve as a central digital gateway for international patients seeking treatment in the North African country, a system accurately developed to streamline medical travel and strengthen Egypt’s position in global healthcare tourism. 

The platform will offer a user - friendly system for booking, coordinating and managing medical and wellness services, from travel arrangements to post - treatment care, while ensuring data protection and adherence to global patient right standards as reported by Daily News Egypt, daily newspaper established in 2005 and headquartered in Dokki, Giza.
 

The tourism medical platform also features a comprehensive  telemedicine via virtual consultations, and AI - powered personalization for users. It will provide detailed information on healthcare providers, and educational content about tourism attractions.

 The National Council for Health Tourism has already reviewed branding proposals for the platform and discussed accreditation frameworks to ensure that all participating institutions comply with international quality and safety standards. 

Minister of Health and Population underlined that Egypt’s growing reputation as a healthcare destination is driven by a combination of qualified medical professionals, advanced medical infrastructure, and unique natural therapeutic resources such as mineral springs and favourable climate conditions, noting that the platform will strengthen global trust and enhance the visibility of Egyptian healthcare service abroad.

Minister of Youth and Sports Ashraf Sobhi highlighted that health tourism is viewed as a pillar of sustainable development, combining medical care with wellness and sports programmes.

Link 

https://tvbrics.com/en/news/egypt-launches-national-health-tourism-platform-to-become-global-medical-hub-by-2030/

Novobratskoye, Kazakhstan | Discovered Remains of a Mammoth that Lived Around 40 - 15 Thousands Years Ago

Novobratskoye a village in the Bulandy district of the Akmola region, a centrally located region of Kazakhstan, known as Tselinograd Oblast during Soviet rule, a land features diverse landcapes including, plains, steppe, mountains, huge rocks, clear lakes, pine forests and boasting stunning attractions include the Burabay Natural Park known for its lakes and forested mountains and the Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve,  a habitat for diverse birdlife, is the site of the discovery of the lower and bone of a woolly mammoth remains as reported by the Kazinform, international news agency based in Astana. 

The discovery was made on the bank of the Konyr River by employees of the agricultural holding Adilet Omarov and Alzhan Rakishev, who promptly notified the National Museum specialists.The remains are now being kept in the museum’s scientific laboratory under carefully controlled temperature and humidity conditions. 

According to preliminary analysis, the remain belong to a mammoth aged approximately 40 – 50 years that lived around 40 - 15 thousands years ago, and experts believe that a complete skeleton may have been preserved at the site of the discovery. 

The National  Museum of Kazakhstan noted that a scientific team plans to conduct systematic archaeological and palaeontological excavations in the area next season to discover more and if the assumption is confirmed, it will become an important discovery in studying the fauna of the Ice Age in the Central Asian country.

As explained by the museum, this species of mammoth of the exctinct elephantid genus Mammuthus that lived from the late Miocene epoch into the Holocene period,  appeared about 700 thousands years ago, and its last representative become exctinct roughly 10 thousand years ago.

Small populations may have survived until a late as 2000 BC on the northern islands of Siberia. The animals reached a height of 3 - 4 metres and a weight of 5 - 6 tonnes, and thick layer of subcutaneous fat and dense fur helped them survive harsh climatic conditions.

In September, Kazinform reported that near Baiterek, a village in the Almaty Region, a local resident discovered a shinbone of an extinct animal over one metre long while fishing, and it is believed that the mammal inhabited this area about 15 thousands years ago.

Apart these events linked to Kazakhstan, scientists from different countries continue to make archaeological discoveries. In August China Daily, published a report about the discovery of the of  a new dinosaur species in China. The fossils were found back in 2020, and after five years of study, experts confirmed that is the oldest known sauropodomorph in East Asia, a group of an extinct clade of saurischian dinosaurs that includes the largest herbivorous species.

Link

https://tvbrics.com/en/news/kazakhstan-s-akmola-region-discovers-mammoth-remains/

Shimoni Port, Kenya | Received its First - Ever Cruise Call

Kenya’s new Shimoni Port in Kwale County received its first - ever cruise call on 27th October 2025, as luxury expedition vessel SH Diana docked with 240 tourists on board.  

The Kenya Ports Authorities said the ship arrived from Victoria, the capital city of the Seychelles archipelago located on Mahé Island in the Indian Ocean, marking the official start of the 2025/26 cruise season and signalling fresh momentum for coastal cruise tourism following the port’s completion in June 2025. 

The port is situated along a well sheltered creek off Wasini Island in South Coast of Kenya,  about 4 kilometres along the access channel to the open sea, with the area secure for navigation and fishing boasting a 135 - metre - long jetty, 30 metres wide and 75 metres deep, designed to accommodate large vessels.  

The Sh 2.6 billion facility, developed between March 2023 and June 2025 by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) whose headquarters is located in Mombasa, hosted passengers on excursions to Kisite - Mpunguti Marine National Park and the Wasini Island boardwalk, with local leaders highlighting anticipated benefits for tours, hospitality and retail. 

Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani, and officials including KPA’s Dave Buchere welcomed the call, and industry voices noted rising interest in Kenyan ports, with further cruise visits expected across Kwale, Lamu, and Mombasa this season. 

Link 
https://atta.travel/resource/kenya-s-shimoni-port-welcomes-first-cruise-call.html

Abu Dhabi, UAE | Abu Dhabi Natural History Museum Will Open its Doors on November 22, 2025

The Abu Dhabi Natural History Museum will open its doors to the public on November 22, 2025 in the Saadiyat Cultural District, which serves as a hub for art, heritage, and knowledge exchange across the local and global community, featuring major institutions like the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Cultural Foundation, the upcoming Zayed National Museum, the planned Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and also includes the Abrahamic Family House which contains a mosque, a synagogue and a church, promoting interfaith dialogue.

The museum’s opening marks a significant milestone for the city and emirate, as the largest museum of its kind in the region, it presents a new global destination for education, nature, science, inviting visitors to explore the history of life of the globe and engage in conversations about its future.

The building’s design is inspired by rock formations and has a cellular structure when viewed from above. Developed on a surface area of 35.000 - square metres, the museum is an exciting addition to the United Arab Emirates’ changing cultural landscape and it will guide visitors on an immersive journey through 13.8 billion years of natural history.

From the Big Bang, the formation of the solar system to the evolution of life, including the rise and fall of the dinosaurs, the extraordinary biodiversity of the world to the present day, with a focus on research and promoting environmental stewardship for a sustainable future, the Abu Dhabi Natural History Museum will feature interactive exhibits, rare fossils, stunning displays of biodiversity, and natural history specimens. 

Among the most outstanding pieces of the museum are three travellers from ancient times. One of them is the famous specimen, affectionately known as Stan, a nearly complete skeleton of an imposing Tyrannosaurus rex, a predator that dominated the Earth 67 million years ago. 

This is joined by the largest animal ever known, represented by a skeleton of a 25 - metre female blue whale suspended from the ceiling which offers an extraordinary insight into evolution, marine biodiversity and the history of life on the planet. 

Rounding out the trio is the Murchison Meteorite, an artifact that witnessed the formation of the Earth and contains 7 billion - year - old grains formed even before the formation of the Solar System. 

The museum’s institution of an educatotion supports scientific knowledge and conducts innovative scientific studies in zoology, paleontology, marine biology, molecular research, and earth sciences. By encouraging interaction with the natural sciences, the museum inspires future generations and contributes to a more sustainable future.

Throughout the galleries, the natural history of the Arabian Peninsula forms a central element of the museum’s narrative, highlighting the region’s unique contribution to the history of the Hearth. 

Among Abu Dhabi’s most notable discoveries in an extinct species of elephant known as Stegotetrabelodon emiratus. This ancient membner of the Elephantidae family is distinguished by its tusks on both the upper and lower jaws, a rare feature never seen in modern elephants.

Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak said that the opening of the museum marks an  important milestone in the country to shape the cultural landscape of the emirate. 

The museum offers an immersive look at the history of life of Earth, framed for the first time from an Arabic perspective, with the fauna, flora, and geological history of the region as an essential part of the visitor’s journey.

Link 

https://www.mediaoffice.abudhabi/en/arts-culture/natural-history-museum-abu-dhabi-to-open-in-november-2025-at-saadiyat-cultural-district/

Valladolid, Spain | INTUR - International Tourism Fair - From 13th to 16th November 2025

Valladolid, the largest city as well as primary seat of government and de facto capital of the autonomous community of Castille and León in northwest Spain, will host from 13th to 16th November 2025, INTUR, a relevant international tourism fair dedicated to inland tourism, bringing together tourism businesses, professionals, and potential clients.

 Located roughly in the centre of the northern half of the Iberian Peninsula’s Meseta Central, at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, Valladolid is known for its rich historical and cultural  heritage.

The city is home to numerous historical sites, including the Plaza Mayor, which served as model for similar squares in Latin America, medieval churches, the house of Miguel de Cervantes, where the famous writer composed parts of “Don Quixote”, and is the city in which Christopher Columbus died. Valladolid is also and known for hosting a variety of festivals and cultural events including the SEMINCI International Film Festival.

Organized by the esteemed Feria de Valladolid, an experienced trade fair organizer, known for hosting specialized fairs and events of the highest caliber, the venue is a modern exhibition center located at Avenida Ramón Pradera, that with its excellent infrastructure and versatile facilities, provides the ideal setting for INTUR.

The event is designed to support the growth and visibility of businesses, particularly small and medium - sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector.

The trade fair presents itself as a vibrant marketplace for the latest trends in the tourism sector and offers an abundance of information about emerging holiday destinations as well as relevant aspects of the industry.

The NTUR’s offerings encompass a wide range of products and services related to tourism and travel. From hotel and accommodation options to tour operators, travel agencies, and transport companies, as well as leisure and cultural providers, where visitors and industry professionals find everything their travelling heart desires.

The event is characterized by its thematic diversity and covers areas such as adventure travel, cultural tourism and ecotourism, and a key theme is inland or “interior” tourism, which encompasses activities and destinations outside of major coastal areas.

The focus of the trade fair is particularly on the presentation of national travel destinations, with Spanish regions and their respective providers taking stage. The INTUR provides an excellent platform to discover very interesting holidays areas across Spain and to learn about the diverse travel options within the country.

A further relevant highlight of  INTUR are the various networking events, seminars and workshops, offering professionals a unique opportunity to expand their knowledge, establish new contacts, and strengthen existing partnerships, all elements make the fair an indispensable meeting point for professional providers in the tourism and travel industry.

Links 
https://feriavalladolid.com/intur/
https://www.tradefairdates.com/INTUR-M2226/Valladolid.html