Baku, March 5, AZERTAC The 18th Azerbaijan International Travel & Tourism Fair, AITF 2019, will open its doors for visitors at Baku Expo Centre from April 4-6. As is tradition, the exhibition will bring together representatives of the tourism market from various countries, as well as national and regional tourism organizations and government agencies.Development of the tourism sector is a topical issue in the course of economic development of Azerbaijan. Interest in the exhibition by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, once again underlines the importance of developing the tourism sector. The President’s annual visit to the exhibition provides additional impetus to the expansion of business relations in the area of tourism and development of this sector, as a whole.AITF will be held with the active support and participation of State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan Tourism Board. The exhibition is also supported by Azerbaijan Tourism Association, National Confederation of The Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of Azerbaijan Republic (AEC), Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation, Small and Medium Business Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan. International institutions such as the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) are also among the supporters of the exhibition. The exhibition is organized by Iteca Caspian.This year, national and regional representatives, travel agencies, airlines, hotel chains and health resorts will display their services at the exhibition. As in previous exhibitions, countries such as Belarus, Bulgaria, the Dominican Republic, Morocco, Slovenia, Thailand and the Czech Republic will be participating with their national stands. It is noteworthy that Belarus and Thailand have already booked a larger exhibition space than they did last year.The exhibition will also feature the stand of Azerbaijan, which will demonstrate the entire tourism potential of the country for both foreign visitors and local tourism. Interesting offers will be presented for vacations both in the city and the regions, and for those who love nature and outdoor activities.The AITF 2019 exhibition will highlight a number of sectors, such as Educational Tourism, Sports Tourism, IT in Tourism, Hunting and Fishing, and others. A special sector of the AITF exhibition, Medical and Health Tourism, which has already become a tradition, will also be widely represented by health resorts, wellness and SPA centres from various countries worldwide.This year’s exhibition will be accompanied by a programme of additional events. The organizers have created a business platform for B2B meetings, where representatives of local and foreign companies will have the opportunity to discuss new avenues of cooperation and partnership.An international dance festival is planned as part of the exhibition’s entertainment programme; the main purpose of this vibrant event is to provide opportunities for foreign participants to showcase their culture through one of the most ancient art forms – the dance. The festival will be held in the hall of Baku Expo Centre.According to a decree by President Ilham Aliyev, the year 2019 has been declared the Year of Nasimi. This event will be reflected in the framework of the AITF. The organizers have decided to celebrate the event by organizing "Journey to the history and work of Nasimi" thereby honoring the poet’s memory and introducing exhibition visitors to another feature in the rich culture of Azerbaijan.AITF is not only the region’s largest exhibition in the tourism sector, but also a celebration of culture, new experiences, opportunities, and friendship. Every year, professional representatives of the industry look forward to this event, where they can not only establish new contacts, but also significantly expand the geography of sales, learn about the industry’s latest innovations and trends, and find new partners and customers.For the first time this year, a permanent participant of the exhibition, the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, will act as the sponsor in order to more vividly present its destinations to AITF visitors.