Azerbaijan eyes Saudi, GCC holidaymakers

"Come to Azerbaijan, a less explored stunning place that is closer to the Gulf, and feel the difference from other tourism spots in the world," challenges Dayana Persan, director of Atlantis Holidays, who represents Azerbaijan's ministry of culture and tourism in the GCC.
"You should know that Azerbaijan is the best place to add to your tourism list. It is a showcase of nature's beauty, with 9 of the existing 11 climatic zones, that offers blooming spring, gloomy winter, warm summer and fragile autumn, etc.," Dayana told Arab News in an interview.
"Each region of the country represents a world differing from the other, even by the fragrance of flowers or color of the sky. When you travel from the East to West, you will pass through the sea, mountains, landscapes, forests, everything. Over 6,000 historical architectural monuments, 4,000 variety of plants, a blazing mountain called Yanardag, the Khudat-Yalama seacoast bordered by forests and the seashores of Absheron and Lankaran are fine places for recreation and relaxation," she added.
Azerbaijan's historical monuments are calculated to be of hundreds of millenniums. It is the motherland of brave military leaders, great scientists, outstanding poets, writers, artists and composers known all over the world.
"I think GCC visitors should know more about our land which is a Muslim country with liberal views. It is a combination of Europe, Asia and Islam. Currently, the new and existing tourism industry players in Azerbaijan are set to work harder to achieve the 2014 target. The main agenda is to attract high spending travelers, and capitalize on high-end net-worth segments, particularly from the Middle East," she added.
"Here you will enjoy hunting and fishing facilities. Many types of animals and birds are objects of licensed hunting, and in the reserves they are very easy to watch and photograph. Fascinating ancient cities, picturesque natural landscapes, palaces, fortresses, mausoleums, and mosques are among the other attractions. For guests who are looking for treatment, we have health resorts and spas with natural therapies. Most of the resorts with mineral spas also function as tourist centers. Nearly half of all the mud volcanoes on Earth are concentrated in Azerbaijan and it is a tourist attraction, which is nominated for the New 7 Wonders of Nature," Dayana said.
Eurovision 2012 and Olympic bidding city Baku2020 are the current initiatives of the government for promoting tourism in the country.
She said getting a visa to Azerbaijan is easy and visitor numbers have been increasing to Azerbaijan since 2011.
"Our country is safe, and we have a huge variety of local and traditional delicacies. Gulf countries are closer to our country and we are now focusing more on the GCC, in particular on Saudi Arabia. Currently, we are receiving a number of businessmen from the GCC who are focused on the industry. Investors know that it is a virgin country to yield huge profits," she said.
Visitors can enjoy nightlife with all natural and modern charms," she said. "We have 4,000 hotel rooms and Fairmont and Four Season are going to open. Now the tourism department is going to attract tourists with their families. A variety of things for all, from kids to senior citizens, are ready with us," Dayana added.
Aydin Ismiyev, head of tourism department from Azerbaijan's Ministry of Culture and Tourism along with Elkhan Gahramanor, Azerbaijan's ambassador to the UAE, attended the recently concluded Travel Market to popularize the destination. Azerbaijan also announced a number of summer tourism packages.
"We are getting excellent response from the travel trade and general public. GCC travelers are considering Azerbaijan as their summer destination, and this reflects positively on the efforts and vision set by the ministry in recent months," said Rashid Al-Noori, chairman of Atlantis Holidays and representative of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Culture and tourism in the GCC. The ministry also launched a glossy bilingual magazine titled “Azerbaijan-Gem of The Caucasus” to attract more tourists from the region.