14 Oct 2026
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With its rich hospitality traditions and developing tourism infrastructure, Azerbaijan continued to strengthen its international partnerships and position as a welcoming tourism destination. From 12 to 14 October, Rashad Aliyev, Deputy CEO of Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB), and Asmar Shabanova, Executive Director of Azerbaijan Hotel Association, attended the 93rd General Assembly of HOTREC and the 12th General Assembly of Hotelstars Union (HSU) in Vilnius, Lithuania, exploring opportunities to advance hospitality standards and strengthen cooperation with European partners.
As one of Europe's leading hospitality organisations, HOTREC brings together 47 national associations from 36 European countries, representing the interests of hotels, restaurants and cafés at European and international levels. The organisation plays an important role in encouraging collaboration, sharing expertise and promoting best practices across the hospitality industry.
Hotelstars Union promotes a harmonised and transparent hotel star classification system across its participating countries, helping maintain consistent standards, improve service quality and make hotel offerings easier for travellers to understand and compare.
The assemblies brought together representatives of European hotel associations to exchange insights into key developments shaping the sector. Discussions covered hotel star classification criteria, regulatory and institutional developments, digitalisation, sustainability and evolving quality standards, offering valuable perspectives on emerging trends and opportunities for further cooperation.
During the event, Rashad Aliyev shared Azerbaijan's achievements in hotel classification and the initiatives undertaken to further develop the country's hospitality sector. His presentation highlighted progress in strengthening hotel standards and improving service quality, reflecting Azerbaijan's continued efforts to offer high-quality hospitality experiences in line with international practices.
The programme also included meetings with HOTREC President Alexandros Vassilikos and Hotelstars Union President Markus Luthe. The discussions provided an opportunity to exchange perspectives on applying international best practices and explore possibilities for future cooperation in support of Azerbaijan's hospitality sector.
Azerbaijan's participation marked another step towards strengthening international partnerships and supporting the continued development of its hospitality industry. The exchange of expertise and engagement with European counterparts created opportunities to explore international best practices, enhance hotel classification and service standards, and further develop Azerbaijan's potential as a competitive tourism destination offering high-quality hospitality experiences.
