BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 4. The main goal is to turn Azerbaijan into one of the most visited countries, achieving an increase in the share of tourism in the economy, Chairman of the State Tourism Agency Fuad Naghiyev said at the first meeting of tourism-specialized educational institutions from Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) member nations, Trend reports.
He noted that Azerbaijan attaches special importance to its relations with the Organization for Economic Cooperation, and the two parties have successful partnership relations, including cooperation in the field of tourism and education in this sphere.
Naghiyev also pointed out that the tourism sector in the country is considered one of the priority non-oil economy sectors.
The official added that one of the most crucial factors influencing tourism development is the presence of quality workforce.
Besides, he highlighted that three educational institutions operate under the State Tourism Agency, preparing specialists in this field.
"These are a university, a college, and a vocational-technical school. In total, in our country, education in the tourism specialty is provided in 17 higher education institutions," Naghiyev explained.
"At the same time, the head of the state signed a decree to establish the Karabakh University. This university will also provide education in majors related to tourism. Tens of thousands of people are currently employed in Azerbaijan's tourism sector. However, given the industry's ongoing development, highly qualified individuals in the tourist sector are always in high demand," Naghiyev said.
From January through October 2023, a total of 1.7 million foreigners and stateless persons from 186 countries visited Azerbaijan, an increase of 30.3 percent year on year.
Out of the overall number of foreign visitors, 30.7 percent came from Russia, 17.9 percent from Türkiye, 7.7 percent from Iran, 5.1 percent from India, 4.8 percent from Georgia, 4.1 percent from Saudi Arabia, 2.8 percent from Kazakhstan, and 2.5 percent from Pakistan.
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