Azerbaijan ecotourism success

The move complements the work of local BirdLife partner, the Azerbaijan Ornithological Society (AOS), who, with funding from the European Union Institutional Building Partnerships Programme, has been running a nature-based tourism educational campaign since the start of 2006.

With the support of local and national authorities and stakeholders, AOS has been working on a project called "Career Development for Azeri people on nature tourism at protected areas," which has been raising awareness and providing training and support in eco-based tourism to local people around three protected regions of the country – the Turianchay State Reserve, Zagatala State Reserve and Shirvan National Park.

The project has the full support of the Minister for Tourism Abulfez Garayev, and AOS has also formed a strategic relationship with AtaTourizm, a leading Azeri tourist company, who will help to promote eco-tours to the country.

"In a country with enormous natural beauty and an incredible wealth of biodiversity, especially birds, it is important to educate the local people to not only appreciate their amazing assets, but to learn how to protect and interact with them," said Elchin Sultanov, the Chairman of AOS.

"The inclusion into the government planning process and tourism action plan has been a real bonus, and one which will ensure the conservation of the areas, which in turn will mean more tourists will be able to experience the natural wonders of Azerbaijan," he continued.

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