TODAY.AZ / Business

Minister: Turkey, Azerbaijan may jointly invest in tourism of other countries

22 May 2017 [17:23] - TODAY.AZ

By Azernews


By Rashid Shirinov

Turkey and Azerbaijan may jointly invest in tourism sector of third countries, Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Nabi Avci told Trend on May 22.

 “Relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan are developing in many areas, including the sphere of tourism,” said Avci, adding that Azerbaijan has great tourism potential.

The minister also noted that Azerbaijan is attractive for tourists from Turkey and Arab countries.

Today tourism is developing with high speed in Azerbaijan, with a contribution of 4.5 percent to the national GDP. There are more than 500 hotels in Azerbaijan, while the capital hosts the world’s leading hotel chains. Last year, 35 hotels were built in the country, while 25 are under construction.

 In 2016, the number of tourists visiting Azerbaijan amounted to 2,242 million people and this is 11.7 percent more than in 2015.

Hailing great tourist potential of his country, Avci said that the development of tourism in Turkey began in 1980s.

Avci expressed regret at the fact that Turkey has not yet fully benefited from it enormous potential.

He further said that Turkey and Azerbaijan will jointly make efforts in the future at UNESCO for recognition of “Dede Gorgud” as a common cultural heritage of the Turkic world.

This heroic epic poem, dated to the 16th century, is an invaluable source uniting the Turkic world. The book is distinguished for its antiquity and the information it carries about the culture of the Oghuz – a Turkic tribal group who were the ancestors of the Azerbaijanis, Turks, Turkmens and the Gagauz.

In 2000, Azerbaijan and UNESCO celebrated the 1,300th anniversary of the epic legend “Dede Gorgud.”

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