Azerbaijan improves tourism services in 2014

/By AzerNews/

By Nigar Orujova

Azerbaijan is attracting more and more tourists from around the world with its eastern mystery and western lifestyle.

Tourist flow in Azerbaijan has doubled since 2006. Over 2.5 million tourists arrived in Azerbaijan in 2014. Today, the country is doing its best to attract more people.

The next goal of the country is to increase the tourist traffic by 30-40 percents in 3-5 years. Thus, Tourism Minister Abulfaz Garayev expressed hope that by 2020, Azerbaijan will receive five million tourists.

To this end, the country’s Tourism Ministry is developing some new bills and strategies. All these measures are expected to further boost the tourism sphere in the country.

To increase these figures, the country constantly develops its hospitality services. The Tourism Institute created in Azerbaijan in 2006 has already trained 995 professionals; however, the need to the professionals is growing annually.

This year, the Tourism and Management University was established in the country, which will open up new possibilities and help the government give push to the tourism business.

Today, tourism is turning into one of the leading sphere of the non-oil sector. The tourists’ expenditures in the country increased from 91 million manats in 2006 to 1.2 milliard manats in 2014.

The number of hotels also rose to 527 with a capacity of 34,731 rooms. Meanwhile, the number of workers increased from 5,117 to 9,847.

At present, there are 23 five start hotels in the country, 41 four star hotels, 12 three star and 3 two star hotels. Baku is home of 56 hotels.

The Ministry holds regular monitoring of these hotels to offer their guests the best possible services.

The situation creates the highest comfort for those tourists who prefer to stay in 5 star hotels. However, the Ministry also supports creation of 3 and 4 star hotels to enlarge the number of tourists.

This year, Azerbaijan participated in a number of international tourist exhibitions in Istanbul, Berlin, Moscow, Kyiv, Dubai, Almaty, Paris and London, Barcelona, etc.

During the exhibitions, the Ministry presents not only the tourism potential of Azerbaijan, but also its culture identity. It also holds bilateral meetings and seminars. At the exhibitions held this year, national tourism companies and hotels concluded 700 agreements on cooperation with foreign partners.

Moreover, the country also hosts international tourism festival every year.

The country now has turned into a venue of international exhibition and business forums as well as cultural and sport events.

Today Azerbaijan with its natural beauties, history, art and international events has turned into a tourist destination. Meanwhile, the facilitation of the visa regime with a number of European countries has enlarged the tourist inflow to the country.

Next year, Azerbaijan will host the inaugural European Games that is expected to attract many tourists. In the following years, the country will also hold Islamic Solidarity Games, Formula 1 race and quarterfinals and three group games of the Euro 2020.

The Land of Fire invites everyone to come and taste its famous hospitality!