Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 29 / Trend A.Akhundov /
Baku hosts the round table with representatives of tourist companies and hotels.
"This is the first meeting of representatives of local tourism companies and hotels. Today, a decision about merging of the Azerbaijani Hotel Association and the Azerbaijani Association of Tourism was made", the Azerbaijani Travel Agencies Association chairman Nahid Bagirov said.
Nahid Bagirov remains at his post. Siyavush Eganli is appointed deputy chairman of the Tourism Association. Earlier, he served as a board member of the Hotel Association.
A joint memorandum on mutual cooperation of travel agencies and hotels was the basis for further activity of the Association.
According to the document, travel companies must protect the interests of hotels, with whom they collaborate, organize advertising of hotels in the local and international exhibitions.
A decision was made to establish a working group to tackle mutual problems. The working group will consist of two representatives from travel agencies and hotels. These are Hyatt hotel and Radisson Blu, travel companies Enctours and Eurotour, as well as chairman of the Azerbaijani Association of Tourism Nahid Bagirov.
"The Tourism Association has 58 members. Other bodies, working in the tourism sector, are planned to be included in the future," he said.
He said that the event will become a serious impetus to the further development of tourism in Azerbaijan.
The problems of tourist companies were discussed at the meeting.
The Azerbaijani Travel Agencies Association was created with the assistance of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in January 2009. The board members include Improtex Travel, Caspian Travel, Pasha Travel, Silkway Travel, Euroturizm CEOs. Over 51 travel companies are members of the association.
The association protects the interests of travel agencies, develops bills, recommendations and regulations, assists in establishing national travel companies. It develops plans to conduct trainings and seminars for market participants, creates conditions for advertising of Azerbaijani tourism at annual international exhibitions; develops domestic tourism and presents tourism products at the world market.
The association also tries to develop and introduce congressional tourism, help to train specialists in the management and services etc.