Foreigners admire, Azerbaijanis proud with Azerbaijan tourism center in Georgia - REPORTAGE

The guest center 'Azerbaijan Travel. Showroom' of the Azerbaijani Tourism Bureau has been functioning right in the center of Tbilisi, at 16 Rustaveli Avenue, in Georgia, for already more than a month.

The collaborator of Report's local bureau visited the Azerbaijan tourism center and got familiar with its activity.

A door to Azerbaijan from Tbilisi

Right from the doorstep, the guests plunge into the world of Azerbaijan with the sounds of the compositions by legendary jazzman Vagif Mustafazade, interior, and national souvenirs adding to that feeling. Tbilisi residents and city guests walking along the Rustaveli avenue 'travel' to Azerbaijan as soon as they enter the representative office.

Manager of 'Azerbaijan Travel. Showroom' Mariam Natadze said Azerbaijan is an amazing country in terms of history and culture, therefore, the interest in the center was quite predictable. She noted that the visitors of the showroom can be divided into two segments. The first segment includes those who try their tourism practice in Azerbaijan, while others are those who have no idea of the country and who wish to travel to Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan pioneered promotion of tourism potential in Georgia

Natadze, who boasts over five years of work experience in the tourism sector, said that Azerbaijan is the only country that promotes its tourism potential in Georgia: "Georgia has never had such an experience before and has no permanent space for promoting the tourism potential of other countries. In this sense, Azerbaijan pioneered the promotion of tourism potential in Georgia and became the first country to operate in this area."

According to the manager, the foreigners travelling to Georgia are the potential visitors for Azerbaijan: "Any person who visits the showroom decides to travel to Azerbaijan. Our main goal is to encourage the visitors to travel to Azerbaijan."

The showroom is full of guests on weekends

Every day of the working week from 10:10 am to 10:00 pm the representative house accepts 35 and more visitors. Natadze noted that the number of visitors varies depending on the day of the week: "Since Rustaveli avenue is full of people on weekends, the number of the showroom visitors also grow. Considering the fact that the center has been operating for more than a month, I think hosting more than 30 visitors a day is a good result for us."

People from Europe, the United States and Persian Gulf visit the Center. On the first days of its activity, the center mostly hosted local citizens. The manager said she was surprized that the Georgian citizens had comprehensive and detailed information about Azerbaijan: "Most of the visitors are quite informed about Azerbaijan, which is pleasantly surprizing for me."

Natadze noted that they received quite positive comments from their visitors: "Our guests recommend our showroom to their friends and acquaintances. I believe that our center will attract the people not only in Tbilisi but also in other Georgian districts."

Azerbaijan's face in Georgia

I also ask the manager about how the guests are greeted and communicated in the center. The center coordinators greet the guests politely and with hospitality typical for Azerbaijan. Natadze said that the showroom is Azerbaijan's face in Georgia: "We welcome our guests firstly with a smile and then provide them with extensive information about the center. Then we ask a few questions to our guests to learn where they are from and whether they have ever been to Azerbaijan."

The center informs the guests not only about Azerbaijan's capital Baku, but also Ganja, Gabala, Gobustan and other places of interest in the country.

The center employee said that they provide the guests with maximum information within a short period of time: "Some guests even spend nearly an hour in our center. For example, we have recently had guests from Russia and they spent more than an hour in our center. They showed a great interest in presentations about Azerbaijan. We try to answer in detail to all questions of our guests about travelling to Azerbaijan. We have also hosted foreign bloggers. One of them was from Great Britain. They obtained detailed information about the showroom, took pictures and shared posts about it in social networks."

Azerbaijani wines are also presented to the guests in the center. Natadze said that the foreigners who taste the wines, highly evaluate them. Among the guests there are also those who are surprized with the existence of wine industry in Azerbaijan. The guests, who can spend more time in the center, are helped to tea and samples of Azerbaijan's national sweets.

If the guests have any questions regarding the tour packages and prices, they are directed to the representative of the tourism company that partners with the Azerbaijan Tourism Bureau.

Those visiting the center consider the budget required for visiting Azerbaijan to be satisfactory. Up to date, none of the guests said they cannot afford visiting Azerbaijan for financial reasons.

A virtual trip to Azerbaijan

One can also take a virtual trip to Azerbaijan from the center. The augmented reality glasses make it possible to 'take a trip' to different parts of Azerbaijan. The guests of the center show a great interest to such trips. The monitors in the center demonstrate reels on different topics related to Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijanis offer support to the center

Azerbaijani citizens and local Azerbaijanis are frequent guests of the center. Natadze said that Azerbaijanis are proud with the presence of Azerbaijan's tourism office in Tbilisi.

"They are so friendly and even suggest their support and assistance to the center. If I met the Georgian tourism center while travelling abroad, I would also be very anxious and I would certainly offer my help. There are two Azerbaijani young people who visit the center every day. They ask how things are going on here."

Visitor satisfaction

Turkish citizen Candemir Olcer, who visits the center, said he had never been to Azerbaijan. He noted that it is already his second visit to the showroom. Olcer wonders about the winter tourism potential in Azerbaijan and about how to get to Azerbaijan from Tbilisi with comfort. He said he liked the atmosphere in the showroom and the taste of Azerbaijani wine.

Singapore citizens visiting the center showed a great interest in the tourism potential of Azerbaijan exhibited there. They said they were already informed about Azerbaijan and were planning to visit the country next year. Ladies from Singapore taste shakarbura and admire the national sweets of our country.

Coordinators linked to Azerbaijan

Only two coordinators work in the center so far. Natadze call them the 'most important persons' of the center. One of them is a Georgian citizen of Azerbaijani descient, Orkhan Binnatov who studies at an Azerbaijani university, and the second is the Russian citizen Vladlena Todua, who has a seven-year experience in Azerbaijan. Both of them are well informed about the culture and history of Azerbaijan. The manager said they love Azerbaijan and that she is satisfied with their attitude to work and their activity: "I fully trust the coordinators and am proud with working with them. We, as a friendly team, spare no effort to do our work. There were the days when we worked overtime. We share our ideas with each other. As a manager, I try to support the initiatives."

According to the coordinator, various international cultural and sporing events hosted in Azerbaijan increased awareness about the country. The showroom visitors said they know that Azerbaijan hosted the Eurovision song contest in 2012, Formula 1 races, jazz festivals. The guests from Europe show a great interest in visiting the country for the matches of the European football championship in 2020.

First success and future goals

An elderly couple from the United States who visited 'Azerbaijan Travel. Showroom' last month have bought a tourism package to Azerbaijan. It was the first package sold in the center. They were attracted by the national carpets of Azerbaijan, Gobustan reserve, Sheki and other places. The center employees are looking forward to hearing the couple's impressions about the travel. They are sure that the foreigners will be impressed by their visit to Azerbaijan.

Natadze said that the great interest shown by the visitors to Azerbaijani tourism promotes the further strengthening of the center's activity. A 2020 marketing plan has been prepared on the center. Various events will be arranged in line with the document. It is planned to attract masters weaving Azerbaijani carpets and cooking national dishes, to the center. The aim is to demonstrate the fascinating culture of Azerbaijan.

According to the manager, the Georgian guests of the center ask to hold the exhibition of Azerbaijani carpets and national souvenirs: "Our Georgian visitors say Azerbaijani carpets and national souvenirs are fascinating and attractive. We are planning to arrange such an exhibition."

All the same, a selfie corner will be created in the center. In this corner, the visitors wearing Azerbaijani national clothes will be able to make selfies and share their images in social networks with special hashtags.

Particular attention will be paid to promotion of the showroom in Georgia and in social networks.

Natadze said that 'Azerbaijan Travel. Showroom' will be even more active next year: "I am sure that the Azerbaijan Tourism Bureau will support our activity. Beginning next year we will direct all our efforts to promotion of Azerbaijan's tourism pitential and encouraging more people to visit the neighbor country. I am sure that our activity will promote the growth in the number of tourists visiting Azerbaijan. This contribution will give us a pride and further increase our desire to work."