Azerbaijan and Venezuela have exchanged views on expanding tourism cooperation within the 19th Azerbaijan International Tourism and Travel Fair (AITF 2023).

During the meeting, chairman of the Management Board of the Association of Azerbaijan Tourism Agencies (ATAA) Goydeniz Kahramanov exchanged views on strengthening tourism relations, expanding communication ties, as well as planning info-tours to attract tourists, Azernews reports.

The launch of direct flights between the two countries was also discussed at the meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, the Venezuelan Ambassador to Azerbaijan Christopher Alberto Martinez Berroteran emphasized that the embassy will support the simplification of conditions for issuing visas to tourists, increasing mutual visits and developing bilateral cooperation.

Noting that Venezuela is planning to open new routes, the ambassador noted that Azerbaijan can turn into a transit country for Venezuela.

"We consider Azerbaijan to be a hot spot on the Eurasian continent. Now we are trying to make Azerbaijan a transit country for Venezuela in the future. Venezuela, in turn, is a gateway to the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. Our cooperation in this direction means there are endless possibilities for our cooperation," the ambassador said.

Later, the representative of the Ministry of Tourism of Venezuela Lisbet Rosales gave detailed information about the tourism opportunities of her country and presented a slide show depicting the sights of Venezuela.

During the meeting, there was also a detailed exchange of ideas on the development of cooperation between tourism organizations, the organization of mutual information tours for promotional purposes.

The meeting ended with an interactive question-and-answer session.

Note that, AITF 2023 draws attention to the tourism industry after a three-year hiatus caused by the pandemic.

Traditionally, the fair gathers representatives of the tourism industry, including national and regional tourism organizations and government agencies from different countries.

The Azerbaijan International Tourism and Travel Fair serves as a major platform, which makes it possible to establish new contacts, significantly expand the sales geography, learn about the latest innovations and trends in the industry, as well as find new partners and customers.

Outbound tourism, domestic tourism, inbound tourism are on the agenda of AITF 2023.

The event is organized by Caspian Event Organisers with the support of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (SMBDA), Azerbaijan State Tourism Agency and Azerbaijan Tourism Board.

This year, Bulgaria, a traditional participant of the exhibition, acts as the AITF 2023 General Sponsor, while Uzbekistan is a partner country.