Tourism ministry monitoring hotels, travel agencies
By Nigar Orujova
Azerbaijan's Culture and Tourism Ministry is monitoring the activities of hotels and travel agencies in Baku and Absheron Peninsula.
The monitoring is conducted to make sure that their activities comply with the state's standards in terms of services, the ministry's official website reported on April 11.
The ministry will also make sure that the hotels and travel agencies will offer high-level services during the First European Games Baku 2015.
Such monitoring are planned to be conducted in three stages throughout 2014. The first stage of the monitoring has started in Baku and Absheron and will last till April 29.
The next stages will be held before the summer season from June 23 until July 22 in other regions of Azerbaijan.
After the summer season, the monitoring will continue in Baku and Absheron from October 15 to November 13.
Currently, there are 241 travel agencies and 258 licensed hotels and hotel-type facilities in Azerbaijan.
About 2.4 million tourists visited Azerbaijan in 2013, spending some $700-800 a week on accommodations, food, and cultural programs. Tourists prefer visiting the Sheki, Gusar, Shamakhi, Lerik, and Lenkoran regions.
Beside five-star hotels in the capital, there are a growing number of three- and four-star hotels costing $80-100 a day.