On December 7, the National Accreditation Center presented a certificate of accreditation to the Azerbaijan Tourism Board, which gives the right to certify guides.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the State Tourism Agency Fuad Nagiyev noted the need for professional guides in the country, noting that for the first time in Azerbaijan the process of national certification of tourist guides has started.
Fuad Nagiyev noted that trainings for the preparation of guides in different languages have been held with the support of the Agency in cooperation with a number of international organizations.
He noted that the training and certification process in the country will be organized on the basis of international standards, in accordance with the national accreditation system.
The chairman of the agency noted that the new draft law "On Tourism" reflects the legal mechanisms for the certification of tourist guides, and a register of guides will be maintained in the Tourism Register, which will be created under the new law.
Florian Zengstschmid, Chief Executive Officer of the Azerbaijan Tourism Board and Chairman of the Tour Guides Certification Body (TBSO), said the process would be organized by the newly established TBSO.
Florian Zengstschmid noted that the tour guides, prepared on the basis of world standards, with theoretical and practical knowledge, would be useful in promoting Azerbaijan.
Deputy Director General of the Azerbaijan Accreditation Center - Acting Director General Emin Zeynalov, in turn, praised such an initiative in the field of guidance in Azerbaijan as one of the important steps in the development of tourism.
At the press conference, Sakina Askerova, Quality Manager, and Tural Musayev, Secretary General of the Azerbaijan Tourism Guides Association, answered questions from the media.
It should be noted that in 2019, the Azerbaijan Accreditation Center submitted to the Azerbaijan Tourism Board an accreditation certificate for conformity assessment for awarding stars to hotels.