Minister Abulfaz Garayev: Privileges maybe attached to Azerbaijan’s tourism sector in future

It is too early to speak about privileges in tourism sphere in Azerbaijan, Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfaz Garayev told journalists.

To him, practice privileges do not give positive results to state economy: "The activity in tourism sphere must be conducted in frame of competitiveness rules. If we conduct privileges, there are a lot of industries in tourism sector which we will have to make concessions too. But if tourist flow to the country increase within 1-2 years and if we feel the fund in budget is big enough, then privileges maybe used for increasing of it".

The minister said that development of tourism was in the center of state’s attention: "The loans given to development of tourism in Azerbaijan, means allocated from the fund and such things show that the state supports tourism sphere. Facilitation of visa procedure, struggle with corruption give a chance to hotels functioning in the country to operate more freely".

Garayev said that number of hotels in the country hit 500: "At present, 45 hotels and motels are being constructed. The priority is of course Shahdag- Winter-Summer Tourism Complex".


/APA/