First meeting of the Ganja Regional Tourism Council held

 On October 30, the first meeting of the Ganja Regional Tourism Council was held in the city of Ganja.

 The event was attended by representatives of local structures of government agencies operating in the regions covered by the Council — the city of Ganja, Göygöl, Dashkasan, Gadabay, Samukh, Shamkir, Gazakh, Aghstafa, and Tovuz districts — as well as representatives of state bodies related to the tourism sector.

 Speaking at the meeting, the deputy heads of district executive authorities emphasized that the establishment of the Regional Tourism Council will contribute to the socio-economic development of the Western region, the more efficient use of local tourism potential, and the improvement of the population's well-being.

 Kanan Guluzade, advisor to the chairman of the State Tourism Agency and chairman of the Regional Council, provided information on the essence of the "State Program for the Development of Tourism in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2026–2030," its contributions to the development of the country's tourism industry, and the tasks stemming from the Program. Areas of activity reflected in the "Proposal Plan" for regional development—such as tourism accessibility and infrastructure, tourism products and experiences, tourism marketing, promotion and digitalization, tourism industry development, human resources, and quality standards in tourism—were widely discussed.

In his speech, Kanan Guluzade elaborated on the objectives of establishing the council and the legal framework regulating its activities. He noted that this initiative will serve to strengthen cooperation among state bodies, improve coordination in the tourism sector, and expand joint activities toward realizing the region's tourism potential.

Elgun Javadov, head of the Cultural Heritage and Regional Tourism Department of the State Tourism Agency, highlighted the importance of Regional Tourism Councils from the perspective of uncovering local tourism potential and creating competitive tourism products based on a unified approach. He stated that the Western region's rich nature, historical and cultural heritage, rural and agritourism opportunities, as well as existing tourism infrastructure, create significant opportunities for promoting the area more widely in both domestic and international tourism markets.

Heybat Valiyev, director of the Destination Development and Tourism Product Department of the Azerbaijan Tourism Bureau, provided information on the activities carried out by the Tourism Bureau in the districts covered by the Council.

During the meeting, the Council's priority areas of activity, the implementation of joint projects promoting sustainable tourism development in the regions, the strengthening of coordination among various structures, and the improvement of rapid decision-making mechanisms were discussed.

In addition, an exchange of views took place regarding the development of tourism infrastructure in the Western region, raising service quality, improving existing tourism routes, and more actively involving the local population in tourism activities. The mutual complementarity of tourism opportunities in different parts of the region, the integration of local products and services into the tourism value chain, and the creation of new tourism products were in the spotlight.

The meeting defined the main priorities for projects planned to be implemented in the next phase. In this context, the importance of expanding cooperation between state bodies and local communities, efficient use of existing resources, and supporting joint initiatives was emphasized.

Notably, meetings of the Guba, Gabala, and Gakh-Balakan Regional Tourism Councils were held this year. The councils were established to ensure effective management of the tourism sector, apply flexible approaches to existing challenges, strengthen coordination at the local level, and consolidate public-private sector cooperation. The activities of the Ganja Regional Tourism Council will serve the development of tourism in the Western region on the basis of a unified approach, the more effective presentation of the territories' tourism opportunities, and the strengthening of regional cooperation.