Azernews.Az

Appropriate measures will be taken against the special stand about the tourism potential of the Armenia-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, which was exhibited by the Armenians at the International Tourism Fair in London, a Culture and Tourism Ministry official has said.

Aydin Ismiyev, head of the ministry's tourism department, said at a meeting with members of the Caspian-European Integration Business Club on Monday that Armenia is represented by seven tour companies, one of which is called Karabakh.

Armenia has begun to represent Karabakh at exhibition stands in recent years, he said.

The work to counter demonstration of special stands on Nagorno-Karabakh, which are presented by Armenia, is underway.

"The Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Embassies of Azerbaijan in a number of countries are working together on this issue," Ismiyev said. "Berlin, London and Moscow hold the largest tourist exhibitions worldwide. Armenia's participation in an exhibition in Berlin has been canceled. Last year, a similar incident occurred at an exhibition which took place in France, and through these measures the Karabakh stand was removed from the exhibition. Such instances are becoming less and less [frequent]."

Nagorno-Karabakh has been occupied by Armenia since a 1990s war that killed an estimated 30,000 people and ousted about one million Azerbaijanis from their homes.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on its withdrawal from the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

Ismiyev said there are not many professional tour companies in Azerbaijan.

He noted that travel agencies organize trips to Antalya in summer, and to United Arab Emirates at the end of the summer.

"One might think that there are no other places, cities and countries. There is one solution - to prepare professional personnel and to attract them to work," Ismiyev said.

Only 130 out of 210 travel agencies operating in the country are working "at a normal level", he added.