Big changes are expected in the tourism sector

For 10 months of 2018, the total tourist flow to Azerbaijan increased by 6.1%, the number of tourists increased from 2.277 to 2.416 million, the State Tourism Agency reported. In January-October Azerbaijan was visited by 330 thousand citizens of the countries of the Middle East, which is 42% more compared to the same period last year. Most of them came from Saudi Arabia, Israel and Kuwait, and the most from Russia - 752 thousand people arrived (31%), by 3.3% more than last year. The growth of tourist traffic from India and Pakistan grew by 183% and 149%. For comparison: over the ten months of 2018, over 7.5 million travelers visited Georgia (an increase of + 11%). The number of tourist visits (a separate statistical category) over ten months amounted to more than 4.1 million (an increase of + 17.5%).

What prevents the Azerbaijani tourism sector from "catching up and overtaking" Georgian colleagues? Turan receives information from disgruntled tourists: taxi drivers in Baku cheat on guests, drivers of "London cabs" are especially different, Russian tourists report in amateur videos.

Foreigner Mais Abdullayev used the convenient opportunity to get an entry visa to Azerbaijan via the Internet, online. The electronic system first announced the need to pay $ 23 for the service, and when Abdullayev transferred money, he received a notice of withdrawal of $ 24 from his account (see photo). Cheating on just 1 monetary unit, he may have paid for the banking service, but since there was no explanation for the additional withdrawal, the tourist had an unpleasant impression.

Turan asked about the reasons for the lag of the Azerbaijani travel industry from the press and public relations manager of the State Tourism Agency Kanan Guluzade. He does not agree with the fact that the indicators of Azerbaijani tourism are compared with Georgian ones, since in Georgia the development of tourism began earlier than among us. In Azerbaijan, the roadmap for the development of this sector of the economy was adopted in 2016, just two years ago, and the achievements are impressive. In addition, the contribution of the tourism sector in the GDP of the two countries is comparable, because tourists come to Azerbaijan who can save more money than guests of Georgia.

The roadmap of tourism development plans to increase the number of tourists in Azerbaijan to 4 million in 2020 and to 6 million in 2023-24. Tourism in Azerbaijan should become the second profitable sector of the economy after the oil and gas sector.

Azerbaijan has long been preparing to receive a mass tourist, not wanting to open the tourist industry in the absence of modern hotels, roads and other infrastructure. Until 2016, the country created the basic conditions for receiving tourists: The Institute of Tourism was created to train qualified personnel, the appearance of the central part of Baku and other cities was improved, hotels were built, political decisions were taken, structural changes were made. This year the State Agency for Tourism was created, which was headed by the Austrian specialist Florian Zenggstshmid.

The development of the tourism sector continues, said K. Guluzade. The industry is waiting for big changes. The international tourism brand of Azerbaijan has been approved, the Institute of Tourism has been transferred to the responsibility of the Agency for Tourism. Azerbaijani hotels are to be provided with qualified personnel; this problem remains urgent. There are not enough good guides.

"We are not yet ready to provide a growing stream of Chinese tourists with tourist services. We invite foreign specialists, in particular, Austrian professor Peter Harkley helps to reform the statistical analysis of the tourist sector; he studies the detailed classification of tourists coming to Azerbaijan: who are these people, how old are they, what are their needs and financial capabilities and etc. It is necessary to separate in the calculations the foreign visitors from foreign tourists, since it is clear that the citizens of Georgia and Russia are visiting relatives and home and cannot be considered foreign tourists. It is necessary to improve the transport possibilities of delivering tourists to Azerbaijan. People prefer direct flights, and our country is removed from traditional tourist routes. The State Tourism Agency signed a memorandum of cooperation with AZAL (recently opened a new direct flight between Baku and the capital of Kuwait.) There is appropriate work in Azerbaijani reserves that attract tourists. To attract foreigners to the country, the State Agency will open offices in 10 pages Anah, completed the interview K. Guluzade.

Citizens of Azerbaijan do not remain aside from the topic of development of foreign tourism. In the social network, the organizer of helping orphans Nigar Bayramli, discussing ideas for the development of this sector, suggests creating new tourist destination routes.

"There are a lot of travel agencies in the country. It"s as if the whole country is traveling, so many travel companies. But everyone has the same subject, tours: Guba-Gabala-Sheki-Ismayilli. There are no entertainment programs on eco-tours. Include intellectual games, call people who could conduct trainings on any topics for an additional amount, learn to dance, whatever you like, not to eat and be photographed. Make T-shirts with the names of the districts, but not for a fabulous sum. I will proudly wear "I love Kurdemir" and let everyone ask questions om: where the Kurdamir ", N.Bayramly shares ideas.