Georgian citizens want to visit Karabakh - REPORTAGE

Azerbaijan Tourism Board's Azerbaijan Travel. Showroom guest center has been operating in Georgia for more than two years. Although most of this period coincided with the coronavirus pandemic, the center did not stop promoting the tourism potential of Azerbaijan, even for a day.

Report's local bureau visited the tourism office of Azerbaijan in Georgia and got acquainted with the center's activities.

Among the numerous commercial facilities located on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, the center attracts the attention of passers-by with a beautiful shop window. The composition in the shop window is updated every season. At present, a miniature model of a part of Gobustan rocks is on display.

Azerbaijan Travel. Showroom coordinator Orkhan Binnatov said the number of visitors decreased due to the pandemic: "Before the pandemic, our center received 40-50 guests a day. Our visitors mostly received extensive information about Baku, Gobustan, and Azerbaijan in general. Now the main questions are related to the rules of visiting Azerbaijan during the pandemic. We provide our guests with detailed information about these rules."

The coordinator noted that many people are interested in joint tourism packages between Georgia and Azerbaijan: "European and American tourists are mainly curious about this. The most exciting directions are Lagodekhi-Sheki-Gakh, Ganja-Goygol-Georgia."

According to Binnatov, there are many local and foreign guests who wish to see Karabakh: "We get a lot of questions about the organization of tours to Karabakh. As is known, reconstruction work is underway in Karabakh. After the completion of the restoration work and the establishment of the relevant tourism infrastructure, tours will be organized in this direction."

Azerbaijan Travel. Showroom has focused on the promotion of the combined tours between Azerbaijan and Georgia. The center informs visitors and local tourism companies about Ali and Nino, Silk Road, Soviet heritage, cultural and historical legacy, health and medicine, gastronomy, German, Polish heritage, religious monuments, and other thematic routes. Azerbaijan will promote the combined tours together with Georgia this year and start testing them next year.

The Georgian side positively assesses the activity of the Azerbaijani tourism office. Tamuna Koriauli, deputy head of the National Tourism Administration, told Report that she welcomed efforts to promote Azerbaijan's tourism potential in Georgia.

According to her, Azerbaijan Travel. Showroom, in the center of Tbilisi, allows both locals and foreign visitors to learn more about tourism services and products in Azerbaijan.