AITF 2012, the 11th Azerbaijan International Travel & Tourism Fair will take place in Baku Expo Center from 12 to 14 April 2012. AITF has established its status as a leading international exhibition in the Caspian Region, and one which reflects the general situation in the region’s tourism industry.
The event will bring together over 200 exhibitors presenting their exclusive tourism offerings especially designed for the Azerbaijan market. The exhibition’s slogan is ‘Whole World. One Exhibition’, and this is justified by the presence of over 60 tourist destinations, 15 national stands and over 32 exhibiting countries, including Qatar, Poland, Bulgaria, Vietnam, Indonesia and Slovakia who are all making their first appearance at the exhibition. Exotic tourism, which is becoming more and more popular in Azerbaijan, is catered for by companies presenting the Maldives, Mauritius, Malaysia, the Seychelles, Thailand, and other destinations.
The exhibition also features national stands from Georgia, Slovenia, Malaysia, India, Russia, the Czech Republic and Dubai. Turkey is acting as AITF’s Country Partner for the third year running, and Bulgaria is the event’s Guest Country for the first time. For the second consecutive year, Silk Way Travel is the registration sponsor of the event.
This year’s standout feature is the extensive representation of health and wellness tourism at the exhibition, an area which has become ever more popular and seen increasing demand in recent years. The Stavropol Region’s stand will combine offering from the resort towns of Yessentuki, Zheleznogorsk, Kislovodsk, Mineralnye Vody and Pyatigorsk, and Ukrainian companies will present holidays in the country’s spa resorts, including those in the Crimea region. A range of high-profile organisations are among those making their first appearance at the exhibition, including the Lithuanian Spa Association and representation from Celje in Slovenia, which will present six high-end thermal spa resorts.
The exhibition’s standout aspect this year will be its extensive business programme, with open presentations and various cultural and entertainment events to bring to life the national character of the exhibiting countries. The programme will focus on active interaction between exhibitors and visitors and allow them to get useful information on the tourism industry. The exhibition is organised by ITE Group PLC (UK) and its partner in the Caucasus, Iteca Caspian.