Baku, Azerbaijan, June 9
By Ilhama Isabalayeva - Trend:
Over the past 10 years, the number of the tourists visiting Azerbaijan increased by five times, said Abulfas Garayev, the Azerbaijani minister of culture and tourism.
He made the remarks June 9 addressing the public discussions on "Tourism in Azerbaijan: Strategic Outlook" at the Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC).
Garayev said tourism is one of the priority areas in the Azerbaijani economy's non-oil sector.
Thanks to the measures taken during the recent years, Azerbaijan's tourism industry is experiencing a period of development, he added.
"Today, tourism, as one of the main areas of the global economy, is developing rapidly," said the minister. "After Azerbaijan gained its independence, big projects for developing the tourism sector were implemented in the country and brand-name hotels were built and commissioned."
Today, 4.5 percent of Azerbaijan's total gross domestic product accounts for tourism, noted Garayev, adding that Azerbaijan, according to the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2015, ranked 36th among 141 countries on Human Resources and Labor Market pillar.
"Currently, nearly 300 tourism companies and more than 570 accommodation establishments are operating in Azerbaijan," he added.