Azerbaijan, Baku, March 15 /Trend U.Ismayilova/
The Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism Ministry's demand for professional staff at higher tourism educational institutions and companies is justified given the deficit of qualified personnel, Azerbaijani Institute of Tourism Rector Jafar Jafarov said.
"Its position is justified," Jafarov said.
He added that earlier it would have been unrealistic to increase the number of professional staff. Today, however, the institute has the potential to increase professionalism in this sphere.
The ministry does not demand that sector employees get their education only at the Azerbaijan Institute of Tourism. They can also attend other universities in other countries, Jafarov said.
Earlier, Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfaz Garayev said the ministry intends to tighten the conditions for issuing licenses to travel agencies and facilities. Highly qualified personnel will become the main condition in 2011.
Travel companies without specialists will be closed, he said.
Earlier, these requirements were not put forward for travel companies.
The ministry issued 38 licenses in 2010 to provide travel services to businesses and individuals. Currently, 207 tourism companies in the country have been licensed.
Licenses were issued to 21 legal and physical persons for providing hotel services last year. There are 295 hotels and hotel-type facilities using the license. Last year, 16 hotels and hotel-type facilities passed state classification, and the number of such facilities reached 77.
The institute was established under the ministry on Feb. 13, 2006.