Ashgabat, November 10, 2014 – Today, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, will launch a training course that focuses on introducing Turkmen specialists to best practices in international tourism planning and development. Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Country Director for USAID in Turkmenistan, Ms. Brandy Witthoft, will open the event and welcome participants from Turkmen government agencies. Over the course of five days, three specialists from the United States will share their expertise on sustainable tourism development, discussing such topics as planning, economic tourism, tourism and cultural heritage, branding, marketing and social media, and the latest trends in the field. The seminar is being held under the auspices of USAID’s Governance Strengthening Project and is providing an opportunity for 80 participants, including representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economy and Development, the State Tourism Committee, the State Sports Committee, the National Institute of Sports and Tourism, and the Committee for the Awaza National Tourist Zone, to better their knowledge of the tourism industry.