On Jan. 14, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared 2011 the Year of Tourism in Azerbaijan at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers dedicated to socioeconomic development in 2010 and the challenges for 2011.
"I propose to declare 2011 the Year of Tourism," he said. "In 2011, five five-star hotels will be opened in Baku. I believe that this event is probably unique in the world. The construction of four three-star hotels is also underway in Baku. Major work is being carried out in the hotel business, and tourism development in Azerbaijan is already a reality."
Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfaz Garayev charged the Tourism Association and tourism sector with preparing a proposal to develop a plan to actively develop and promote tourism in 2011 in the course of one week, Nahid Bagirov, the head of the association, told Trend.
He stressed that the association and the tourism sector will develop an action plan for the active promotion of tourism domestically and abroad. An integral part of tourism promotion is taking part in international exhibitions and conferences and organizing info-tours for foreign companies.
The development of domestic tourism is also important for the development of the sector as a whole, as tourism will boost the population's awareness about history and culture, he said.
"The association will also organize tours to the most remote regions of the country," Bagirov said.
The active promotion of tourism will also be conducted through the media, he added.