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Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB)

Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB) is a national promotion body established under the State Tourism Agency (STA) of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Its main objectives are to support the growth of Azerbaijan’s tourism industry and encourage visitors to explore the country’s cultural offerings and experience its ancient heritage. ATB, being the main tourism marketing authority, is bringing Azerbaijan to the global stage of in-demand tourism destinations.  New tourism products, attractions and activities are being developed around all regions and promoted in core markets Direct tourism industry actors (hotels, tour operators, agents, tour guides, etc.) are in a continuous dialogue with ATB by means of training. 
Countries
Azerbaijan

Commitments:

In the framework of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, the Azerbaijan Tourism Board commits to:
  • Stimulating the elimination of problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging and/or items by 2025 by laws, such as the 2021 trade law of the Republic of Azerbaijan that prohibits sales, trade, import, export, production, catering and service facilities to provide customers with lightweight polyethene bags with a thickness of less than 15 microns, as well as other disposable plastic mixing rods, forks, knives, plates and cups. ATB will also stimulate further elimination of problematic and unnecessary plastic packaging and/or items in entities, such as tourist info centres, reserves under ATB/STA
  • Discussing further ideas on elimination of problematic and unnecessary plastic packaging and/or items in a minimum of 3 meetings with industry experts and experts in plastic pollution
  • Engaging in capacity building for the industry around elimination of problematic and unnecessary plastic packaging and/or items through a minimum of 3 meetings/trainings
  • Reviewing entities under ATB/STA concerning elimination of problematic and unnecessary plastic packaging and/or items by monitoring the usage of problematic and unnecessary plastic packaging and/or items on yearly basis and taking relevant measures.
  • Encouraging reuse models in entities, such as tourist info centres, and reserves under ATB/STA to reduce the need for single-use plastic packaging and/ or items in annual meetings
  • Discussing further ideas on encouraging local industry members through Tourism Experts Club in a minimum of 1 meeting with industry experts to encourage local industry representatives to reduce the need for single-use plastic packaging and/or items.
  • Meeting with industry representatives and raising the topic of using reusable models in annual meetings with industry representatives
  • Incentivizing the use of reusable, recyclable, or compostable plastic packaging and/or items in entities, such as tourist info centres, and reserves under ATB/STA.
  • Discussing further ideas on incentivize the use of reusable, recyclable, or compostable plastic packaging with local industry members through Tourism Experts Club (TEC) in a minimum of 1 meeting with industry experts.
  • Providing support in increasing collection, sorting, reuse, and recycling rates, and facilitating the establishment of the necessary infrastructure and related funding mechanisms for entities, such as tourist info centres, and reserves under ATB/STA in annual meetings.
  • Presenting recycling and sorting boxes to be used in hotels and local tourism companies, with the goal of a minimum of 20 industry representatives using the sorting boxes.
  • Calling to action tourism associations and their members to increase collection, sorting, reuse, and recycling rates, and facilitating the establishment of the necessary infrastructure and related funding mechanisms. In an annual meeting with tourism associations.
  • Stimulating the demand for recycled content across all plastic packaging and items used by entities, such as tourist info centres, and reserves under ATB/STA.
  • Producing and distributing a minimum of 5000 special flyers among tourists through tourist info centres and delivering special training to a minimum of 100 guides to support traveller behaviour change on recycling and reuse, throughout their journey at a destination.
  • Collaborating mainly with the private sector (tourism industry) and NGOs (relevant associations) to take action that addresses the root causes of plastic pollution.
  • Starting a waste segregation project with support of the ministry of ecology and natural resources, which will be implemented among the tourism industry (mainly amongst accommodation providers).
 

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