Azerbaijan becomes member of international tourism organization

By Azernews

By Rasana Gasimova

Azerbaijan’s State Tourism Agency has been admitted to membership in the Asia-Pacific Tourism Association (PATA), local media reported.

Commenting on Azerbaijan’s membership in the organization, Chairman of Azerbaijan’s State Tourism Agency Fuad Nagiyev noted that the State Tourism Agency and the Azerbaijan Tourism Board are conducting large-scale work to promote the Azerbaijan’s tourism potential in the Asian region.

“We have seen a significant increase in the number of tourists visiting Azerbaijan from the Asia-Pacific region. The region is one of the key markets for us. Of course, we want to support and contribute to this growth through partnership with public and private organizations engaged in the region's tourism sector, by providing training for tourism industry representatives, and creating other opportunities for tourism ties between Azerbaijan and the Asia-Pacific region," he said.

PATA comprises of 95 state organizations, 27 international airlines, airports and cruise organizations, 108 tourist accommodation companies, 68 educational institutions and hundreds of travel agencies - more than 800 members. The association was founded in 1951, it operates as an international tourism platform.

Note that PATA represents 34 countries of the Asia-Pacific region, which have united to achieve a common goal - to achieve success in the development of tourism in the region. The work carried out by this organization is aimed at promoting tourism through research, development, education and marketing programs.

Being a mesmerizing mix of East and West, Azerbaijan is attractive destination for tourists. The number of foreigners visiting Azerbaijan for tourism has significantly increased.

Azerbaijan is among the developing countries in the field of tourism, occupying the 39th place among 148 countries in terms of global competitiveness in tourism. As many as 2.68 million tourists visited Azerbaijan in January-October 2019.

Tourists visiting the country can enjoy plenty tourism opportunities, including excursions and sightseeing, rural, health, environmental, cultural, social, commercial, sport, and other kinds of tourism.