BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 2
By Fidan Babayeva – Trend:
Both Azerbaijani and foreign food travel bloggers greatly impact the development of gastronomic tourism in Azerbaijan, Chairman of the DAIR Hotels and Restaurants Association Samir Dubendi told Trend on July 2.
“At the end of the summer season of 2018, volunteers conducted a survey among foreign tourists visiting Azerbaijan,” Dubendi added. “As was discovered, 97 percent of tourists made a special emphasis on the Azerbaijani national dishes.”
“The need for the development of gastronomic tourism is growing in Azerbaijan,” chairman of the association added.
Dubendi stressed that the relevant projects must be carried out both in the Azerbaijani districts and Baku, the capital; the projects may include holding masterclasses with the proposal to tourists to participate in the cooking of an Azerbaijani national dish.
“We have excellent, rich cuisine with an ancient history,” the chairman of the association said. “One must not forget about our ancient tradition of winemaking, which also contributes to the development of gastronomic tourism in the country.”
Dubendi added that national cuisine must also be presented in hotels of the country belonging to international hotel chains.
“Once there was a great idea to cook the Azerbaijani breakfast in hotels, which is very rich and varied, but this issue has not yet been properly followed up,” the chairman of the association said. “The implementation of this idea will be one of DAIR’s main tasks in the near future.”
DAIR Hotels and Restaurants Association is a non-profit organization supporting and promoting the interests of the hotel and restaurant business in Azerbaijan. It was established and registered by the Ministry of Justice in 2009.
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