Qatar Airways New Route Good for Arab Tourism in Azerbaijan: Official

Baku, February 06 (QNA) - Azerbaijan is looking forward to attracting more tourists from Arab and Gulf countries after Qatar Airways launched a new route that would connect the Arab world with the south eastern European country via Qatar. "We hope the number of Arab and Gulf tourists would grow after Qatar Airways opened a direct new window for the Arab world to Azerbaijan," chairman of the Department of Tourism at the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture and Tourism told reporters on Qatar Airways' inaugural flight to Baku. "I believe airlines aren't only meant to carry passengers but also to enhance communication and relationships between peoples, especially those who have many features in common such as Arab people and Azerbaijani people," chairman of Azerbaijani Department of Tourism said. The Azerbaijani official stressed that launching Doha-Baku route will positively strengthen relationships between the Arab countries and Azerbaijan, and grow Arab and Gulf tourism in Azerbaijan. He also said that the Azerbaijani tourism sector is blossoming with a growth in the number of high-end tourism facilities such as five-star hotels, restaurants, public gardens, parks, museums in addition to the natural, cultural, heritage and recreational elements that Azerbaijan enjoy. "Gulf and Arab tourists spend billions of dollars annually on tourism and we want to take a share of (this revenue)," the Azerbaijani official said as he announced a tourism campaign Azerbaijan is to launch over Arab media. In 2010, Azerbaijan launched an ambitious plan to revive the tourism sector for the period 2010 - 2014 with an influx of foreign tourists expected this year in the light of hosting "Eurovision" singing contest in May. Qatar Airways launched on Wednesday its inaugural flight to Baku, the newest addition to its European destinations, which comes as a part of an expansion plan for the Qatari carrier. Daily flights will operate from Doha to Baku before continuing to the Georgian capital Tbilisi. (QNA) ,