Tourism industry in Azerbaijan. Part 1
Read on the website Vestnik Kavkazacompany "Millennium", a member of a professional tourism association SCALA-Baku and a professor of the National Tourism Training Centre at the Institute of Tourism.
- How is tourism developing today in Azerbaijan?
- A new era in the history of tourism in Azerbaijan began in 1999, when the law on tourism came into force and when in 2001 the Ministry for Sports and Tourism was founded. If at the initial stage in Azerbaijan there were 6-7 travel agencies, today we can speak about 217. Ten years ago, there were 60 hotels, today (taking into account five five-star hotels that will open this year), there are 487 hotels. Most of the hotels are located in the regions of Azerbaijan, and about a hundred - in Baku and the Absheron region.
If at first Azerbaijan participated in two international tourism exhibitions a year, today we participate in 20. Now it's time to move from quantitative results to qualitative, to monitor the ratio between the quality and price. In 2010, the Institute of Tourism hosted the first graduates in the field of tourism. The development of tourism develops on the human factor by 90%. We must create service which will
increase the number foreign tourists from year to year.
Azerbaijan is a unique tourist destination, although some are skeptical about the development of tourism in our country. But we must remember that the stage of development, which French tourism achieved in 60 years, Turkish - in 45 years, our country will not be able to achieve for the next 10 years. We will develop our tourism gradually, and eventually we will become one of the countries with the most developed tourist infrastructure.
The past year in this regard has been significant - Ilham Aliyev issued a decree "On creation of the State Program for development of tourism in the years 2010-2014." For the first time in Azerbaijan, an exhibition of domestic tourism presenting all the regions of the country took place. Nowadays, tourism occupies one of the most important places among businesses not included in the oil sector. The country's future and the welfare of its citizens depend on the development of tourism.
- 2011 has been declared the year of tourism in Azerbaijan. What, in this regard will make this year different from others?
- Soon, the country's president will approve the plan for 2011, we will invite foreign travel agencies and tour operators to make a tour around all the regions, in particular, a climbing tour "Friendship", where the hikers will be able to conquer the heights of some of the highest peaks of Azerbaijan - Shahdag and Savalan. But one of the most important events of 2011 is the opening of brand hotels. If in 1990
the world-famous hotels (except for Hyatt Regency) did not pay attention to our country, now we have started to attract new brands - Hilton, Marriot, Four Seasons, Park Inn, Holiday Inn, Ramada. In other
Eastern countries with prosperous economic development these hotel chains captured the market at an initial stage, and today have their hegemony there. As for us we have an experience of national brands in the hotel service. Our businessmen have opened there hotels here with the support of the Ministry for Culture and Tourism and that provided the visitors with a wide choice.
- What problems exist in the tourism sector in Azerbaijan?
- In the regions hotels are very pricey, which reduces the flow of tourists. And high prices do not always mean a high quality service. But it will change with time. I think that the development of a
healthy competition will change everything for the better. Let me give you one example. A prestigious hotel in a region, without no competitors. The owner of a hotel dictates any price he wants, and he doesn't care whether he has a lot of clients, or just few. But when he enters the competition and there would be five or six hotels in one region, than a hotel with reasonable prices, will be filled. In a short time due to the profit, the owner will obtain a new hotel to expand the business. With a healthy competition, service and prices will be balanced.
- You are still teaching at the Institute of Tourism. What specializations can the students choose?
- This institute was the first in the whole education system to issue dual diplomas, that is, students graduating from our school receive two diplomas: from our university and from an Austrian University
Kremis. In addition to history, philosophy and geography students have such specialized courses as tourism technology and management, hotel management, tourism management, businesses of travel agencies and tour operators, museum affairs, organization of spa resorts and tourist transportation. Students receive about 22 weeks of internship during their studies and with a diploma they acquire not only the theoretical knowledge but also diverse practical skills They can start working in their profession directly after graduation. The Institute of Tourism has a strict discipline. For example, out of 120 students last year only about 40 students were able to obtain diplomas. The most important here is knowledge, and they are provided with an opportunity to prepare and try to pass the exams once again.
Recently, we have established at the institute the Center for national learning and certificate courses in the field of tour operation, travel agency, tour guiding and hotel manager. I myself am a supervisor and coordinator of such project in the field of travel agencies and tour operation. And in the future, one of the main requirements of the Ministry for Culture and Tourism for everyone working in the tourism sector will be to pass this certification. This is done so that there would be no random people in the tourism sector.
To be continued.
Interview by Ramin Naziyev, Baku. Exclusively for VK.