BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 22. Expanding hotel industry horizons in Azerbaijan fosters unification of standards, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Hotel Association (AHA) Board Eldar Alimuradov said during panel discussions within the 1st meeting of higher education institutions specializing in tourism education within the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC), Trend reports.
"The economic impact of the tourism industry on Azerbaijan is of great importance, particularly felt in the regions. In some cities of the country, hotels and travel agencies are the main employers, creating numerous job opportunities and stimulating the local economy.
This is especially significant for an industry whose influence continues to grow and spread across the country. It's expected that in the future, this will lead to an even greater positive effect not only in the economic but also in the social aspects of Azerbaijan's development," he noted.
According to him, knowledge exchange is not just interaction but also collaboration within the industry.
"Baku has remained a center for the development of unique skills, knowledge, and technologies For many years. However, we now observe a significant shift - professionals are spreading their expertise beyond the capital, sharing knowledge across the country. This expansion of horizons contributes to standardization in the industry.
Knowledge exchange allows us to enrich ourselves with new insights and opinions, which in turn positively impacts the level of standards in all aspects of our activities, whether it be education, service, or opportunities in the hotel industry," he added.
The Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) was established in 1992 with the active support of Türkiye and the permanent international secretariat of the organization is located in Istanbul. BSEC was established to promote cooperation, peace, stability, and prosperity in the Black Sea region.
Baku hosts the first meeting of BSEC tourism higher education institutions to discuss cooperation, perspectives and challenges in the field of tourism education.
The meeting is attended by official representatives of states and tourism educational institutions from 11 member countries of the Organization, including Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Russia, Albania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine, as well as representatives of the UN World Tourism Organization.
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