Azerbaijan, Baku, April 27 /Trend A.Akhundov/
AITF 2011, the Azerbaijan International Tourism and Travel Fair, will take place on 28-30 April in Baku Expo Centre, Regional Director of ITE Group plc Mr. Edward Strahan said.
He said AITF was first held in 2002, with 26 exhibitors from 5 countries. Today, AITF 2011 welcomes 230 companies from 24 countries, presenting 61 tourism destinations.
The organizers of the exhibition (ITE Group plc and Iteca Caspian), together with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan, have prepared a special program for the tenth anniversary AITF exhibition. This year the exhibition celebrates its tenth anniversary. In this time, AITF has come to be recognized as the main event in the Caspian Sea region's tourism industry, where important meetings are held, partnerships established, and new programs, prices and destinations announced.
"We hold such exhibitions in several countries, but the feature of the exhibition in Azerbaijan is that a great attention is paid to domestic tourism," he added.
Culture and Tourism Ministry's Tourism Department Head Aydin Ismiyev the second Azerbaijan Domestic Tourism Exhibition, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan, will be held alongside AITF 2011.
The exhibition will feature about 100 companies from 18 regions and present the attractions of regional holiday areas, resorts and hotels in Azerbaijan, as well as introduce the exhibitors and visitors of AITF 2011 to the rich and varied folklore, cuisine and traditions of the Azeri people.
The Ministry organized the info tours to the Exhibition for foreign countries which includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, and Germany, Ismiyev added.
The tenth anniversary edition of AITF has increased its exhibition area by 25% compared with last year. Since its launch, AITF has been officially supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as received the support from World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), National Confederation of Entrepreneurs' (Employers') Organisations of the Azerbaijan Republic and International Tourism Trade Fairs Association. For the second consecutive year, the country partner of AITF is Turkey.