BAKU: Special attention is paid to tourism education in Azerbaijan, Chairman of Azerbaijan Hotel Association Eldar Alimuradov said during the 1st meeting of higher education institutions specializing in tourism education within the Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization (BSEC), Trend reports.

“In Azerbaijan, the State Tourism Agency and the Ministry of Education are continuously focused on establishing accurate criteria for professionals in the tourism industry and facilitating this progress. This endeavor is vital for the sustainable growth of the sector, a goal that relies on substantial government attention and backing,” he said.

He also noted that the tourism industry needs more and more educated, professional and creative employees. This is a joint work in which it is necessary to formulate requirements for educational institutions.

“The government, in turn, should develop certain training programs to set the right criteria for potential employees in the tourism industry,” he stressed.

Baku host
s 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, Trkiye, Russia, Albania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine, as well as representatives of the UN World Tourism Organization.

From January through March of this year, 513,413 foreigners visited Azerbaijan, which is 39 percent higher than the same indicator of 2023 (369,072), according to the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan.

Source: Trend News Agency