Tourism education

Azerbaijan Institute of Tourism was established by the decision President of Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev, dated August 25, 2006, No. 925 and Decree # 45 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Azerbaijan Republic, dated February 13, 2006, under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Republic. ATI began its activity with one faculty in September of 2006 - Tourism Organization and Management. Presently seven departments function at the institute - “Organization and technology of Tourism business , Tourism management and marketing, Tourism Information Technology, Social subjects, “Linguistic provision of  Tourism , Economy and English language chairs. In addition to chairs there are Research and Development Center, International Relations and Projects Division, Library and Information Centre. In ATI over 1314 students study in Azeri, Russian and English. Currently teaching in ATI is carried out at 11 specialties:

• Tourism and Hotel Management

• Management

• Marketing

• Museum, archival work and preservation of monuments

• Regional studies (Caucasus, Azerbaijan)

• Guide and translator

• Adventure, extreme and mountain tourism

• Transport service (by types of transport services)

• Social work

• International Relations

•Food Engineering

Its mission as an educational institution is the development of tourism in the country, training of specialists, growing up students as citizens, and during short period of activity ATI has achieved many successes. In rating classification of Student Admission Committee for the 2007 among high schools of the country ATI ranks at third place, according to figures of 2008 at the 7th place and according to figures of 2009 as 5th place.

Azerbaijan Institute of Tourism from the date of its establishment has build education process on the basis of the Bologna process.

Works are carried out at the institute in direction of organization of short-term courses in various service areas, specialists training, rendering assistance to tourism enterprises, organizations, scientific and methodological support and the provision of consultative, educational programs for students of ATI, as well as touring the various tourist facilities, organization of production practices.

ATI pays special attention to the establishment and development the international relations. On July 4, 2007, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Republic and the University of Applied Sciences Krems, Austria and ATI concluded the agreement on “Tourism education in the field of international cooperation   and under the terms of this contract students receiving over 6 points on the IELTS result at the end of the first course of the 4-year bachelor level at the end of the education will reeked both the diplomas of ATI and the University of Applied Sciences Krems. Students who will receive two diplomas will get a chance to be MA student of IMC University and to have the opportunity to be employed worldwide. l 

ATI at the same time ATI is a winner of  the European Union’s Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window program. Within a program ATI carries out the exchange program with sixteen institutions of higher education in Greece, France, Latvia, Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands. 

Azerbaijan Institute of Tourism, besides education pays special attention to research in the field of tourism. In 2007, with assistance of the UNDP To promote the development of domestic tourism in order to reduce poverty in the Republic of Azerbaijan  the Institutional Support was provided to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Research and Development Centre was established within the framework of this project, which has been operating in this direction.

ATI also is active as well as being young in scientific and public activities. Either country, as well as at international level it was a participant and organizer of many conferences.

All conditions  have been created for living active student life.