THE FUTURE OF AZERBAIJAN'S TOURISM STARTS HERE
Mr. Martin Kleinmann, CEO of the Absheron Hotel Group
CEO OF THE ABSHERON HOTEL GROUP, MARTIN KLEINMANN DISCUSSES HIS VISION FOR AZERBAIJAN’S FUTURE, DINAMO HOTEL’S FIRST ANNIVERSARY AND HIS NEW HOTEL THAT OPENS IN BAKU NEXT YEAR. HE ALSO SHARES WITH US THE PASSION THAT DRIVES HIM TO PROMOTE AZERBAIJAN’S TOURISM, HIS LOVE OF TRAVEL AND HOW HIS GRANDMOTHER’S AUSTRIAN BED AND BREAKFAST GAVE HIM HIS FIRST INSIGHT INTO THE WORLD OF HOSPITALITY. HAVING LIVED AND WORKED IN BAKU FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS, MR KLEINMANN IS A DYNAMIC AND DRIVEN INDIVIDUAL WITH A GENUINE LOVE FOR AZERI FOOD, WINE AND CULTURE, PROMOTING AZERBAIJAN’S AGENDA TO THE REST OF THE WORLD.
Question: You were appointed to the post of CEO of the Absheron Hotel Group in January 2019. What is your priority in this post and what kind of goals do you set yourself and your staff ?
Answer: We now look after the JW Marriott and the Four Seasons in terms of asset management, managing the Boulevard, Intourist, Dinamo, Bilgah Beach, Pik Palace and Park Chalet in Azerbaijan. Our vision is to be the leading hospitality company, not just in Azerbaijan but the whole region. We’re already fairly strong within the country but our desire is to grow beyond the borders. For example, we have a hotel in Bodrum, but we also want to diversify to Georgia, as they are a strong feeder market. For the people who travel to the Caucasus, we want them to visit all our hotels within the neighbouring countries.
I took the job in January, so we are consolidating and building a new team to ensure all the properties we have are in excellent condition, especially with the changes in the country’s strategy to tourism so we adapt our offerings to our customers. When we arrived here in Baku six years ago there weren’t many tourists, it was all corporate business, and now all of a sudden we have a lot of guests coming from the Middle East, Asia, China, for example. We are opening a truly authentic Chinese restaurant at the Boulevard Hotel from next year to cater for our international visitors.
Tourism development is not just about telling people to come; you have to develop your infrastructure and tailor it to their needs so there’s enough here for them to be interested in.
Azerbaijan has a clear message with active open representation offices all geared towards tourism. We think it’s important to keep everything authentic, but we need to preserve what people love about Azerbaijan.
With our company growth, we need to set up a solid foundation to ensure we are internationally recognised, and that we deliver on our promises.
Q: What can you tell us about your newest hotel in Baku, for example Dinamo?
A: Originally named after a sports club, it opened in September 2018 and is an incredible hotel, our most luxurious hotel. It was designed internally by Alberto Pinto, one of the world’s most famous interior designers.
He really looked at every single detail of the hotel. You can clearly see the relation to sports; with pictures, trophies and medals, all showcasing Azerbaijan’s contribution to its sporting history. Art deco on the one hand but with the design elements related to sports. From a product point of view, Dinamo is our pride and joy. What makes it exceptional is the service that’s provided.
We have a great Chef, so the food is excellent. There’s always a prejudice that hotels are very formal, hotels are very expensive but it’s not necessarily the case.
We are opening a smaller hotel with 63 rooms close to Fountain Square in spring 2020. It’s in the historic building where the Caspian Shipping Company was based, so we will see a lot of elements that retain the history of this iconic building. It will be called ‘The Merchant’ and will have a small restaurant in the inner courtyard under
a beautiful glass dome, through which you can enter the restaurant from the boulevard.
It will be the first hotel that my team and I will be opening so we are all very excited and currently busy searching for new members to join us in this new venture.
Q: What motivated you to go into the hotel industry?
A: My Grandmother had a bed and breakfast in a ski resort in Austria where I spent most of my vacations, so hospitality has always been a part of my life. Although I initially began a law degree, I decided I wanted to travel the world and work everywhere and hospitality was one of the professions with no limitations. You see a lot when you travel, but you only scratch the surface, the hotel industry gave me the chance to live and experience different cultures - I don’t look back.
I have worked all over the world, China, Istanbul, Cairo, Bahrain, New Delhi, Germany and the US, and now Baku for the past 6 years.
Q.: In your opinion, what is essential in the hotelier’s industry?
A: You need to love what you do, you need to have the passion and want to be with people, and be there for people. You need to be aware that everybody is different with different needs and desires, be very adaptable, be very flexible with a clear understanding that it’s not about yourself, but it’s about others. People with a big ego may find hospitality a challenge but at the end of the day, you can’t be successful if your people aren’t successful as well. The further you go and the higher you move, you need your people around you.
Q: How do you find the hospitality in Azerbaijan in comparison to your home country of Germany?
A: Azerbaijan is still in its infant stage of hospitality so you can’t really compare. It took until 2012 for international hotel brands to come, following the country’s strategy of putting Azerbaijan on the map. Therefore in parallel with the preparation for the Eurovision Song Contest coming to Baku in 2012, we had the Fairmont, Four Seasons, Hilton, JW Marriott Absheron and Kempinski (which is now Pullman) all open within less than a year. If you want to attract major events, you have to accommodate everyone. Then the inaugural European Games came in 2015, more hotels were needed - the Holiday Inn returned to Baku and our company opened the Boulevard Hotel and the Intourist.
For the Azerbaijanis, hospitality is in their blood, but if I was to mention Germany, it has the technical skill set and educational system focused towards hospitality, so we need to now improve our technical skill set through more tourism focused schools. We have tourism kicking in which fuels future growth.
Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning in regards to your hotels?
A: The message should clearly be that we have something for everyone; every need, every taste and every wallet. Dinamo has great food and an amazing spa. Boulevard has an incredible fitness facility and pool. In the mountains, we hope people will make use of the winter months in our hotels up there. We plan to have a Christmas market with huts around the ice rink, selling goodies like mulled wine and sausages.
Q: Where is your favourite place to wine and dine in Baku?
A: Having an Asian influence in the family with my wife Min, Chinar is a classic. There are also some wonderful local restaurants, especially close to the Boulevard; in particular there is one called Qadim Gabala, where you are served a big rack of lamb carved right at your table - it is to die for. It is a recent find, but it is definitely worth it. Q: Where do you take your relatives when they visit? A: You start in the old town, walking on the cobbles,
For the azerbaijanis, hospitality Is In their blood, but If I was to mention Germany, It has the technical skill set and educational system focused towards hospitality, so we need to now Improve our technical skill set through more tourism focused schools.
having breakfast, you go to the museums like the Carpet museum, Heydar Aliyev centre, Museum of Modern Art, then the mud volcanoes, Yanar Dag, then drive to Shamakhi, Ismayilli, Sheki and Gakh.
Q: What is the best thing about living in Azerbaijan? A: It is so wonderful for the family. It has the combination of the big city, but then in twenty minutes you can be wherever you want to be. You can maximise time, it’s great for the kids; they can do whatever sports they want. From day one, I never had to worry about my family. You can go down to the boulevard and spend time outside. Then an hour north you’re kite surfing in Shuraabad. Enjoying really nice wine, like Chabiant.
Q: What artefact would you take home to remind you of Azerbaijan?
A: Azerbaijan has such a strong influence on our family and the memories are something we will always treasure and never forget.
Representatives of Azerbaijan’s State Committee on Work with Diaspora visited Poland and Hungary in October 2019. The main purpose of the visit was to meet our compatriots, to learn about their situation and problems, to achieve joint action by Azerbaijanis living in Eastern Europe. The delegation held several meetings in Poland and Hungary.
During the official trip to Poland, the delegation first visited the Azerbaijan-Poland Friendship monument, erected on the eve of the 90th anniversary of National Leader, Heydar Aliyev, in the ancient capital of Poland, Gniezno, and met with mayor, Tomasz Budasz.
Chairman of the State Committee, Fuad Muradov, shared his thoughts on the activities of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Poland, the Polish community in Azerbaijan and the further deepening of warm relations between the two countries and nations.
The event was attended by Azerbaijani Ambassador in Poland, Hasan Hasanov, who spoke about the development of Azerbaijani-Polish relations.
During the visit to the Azerbaijan Trade House in Poland, the delegation members laid a wreath at the monuments of the heroes of the Azerbaijani and Polish people: the military figure of the Azerbaijani army in Warsaw, Lieutenant General M. Sulkevich and the military figure of the Polish army, Colonel Vali Bay Yadigar.
Afterwards the delegation attended the opening ceremony of the central office of the Association of Polish Azerbaijanis. Fuad Muradov spoke about the significance of the Association of Polish Azerbaijanis and underlined the importance of its activities for the unification of Azerbaijanis.
A meeting was held with Azerbaijanis living in Poland within the framework of the official trip to Poland. Fuad Muradov noted the importance of the participation of the greatgrandson and son of a famous Azerbaijani writer and satirist, Jalil Mammadguluzade, in the meeting. The chairman especially welcomed Martin Javanshir and his son, Przemek Javanshir, the successors of generation of Jalil Mammadguluzade, noting that their presence was of great importance.
Stressing the willingness of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora to provide support to Azerbaijanis living in Poland, Fuad Muradov enquired the difficulties faced by our compatriots including the participants of the meeting. The Chairman of the State Committee emphasized that joint activities of the two Diasporas, the development of the joint cooperation in the implementation of various projects can contribute to the friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Poland, as well as to the cooperation in various fields.
Afterwards, in his speech the Chairman of the State Committee touched upon the following topics: the activities of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Poland and Europe as a whole, the Azerbaijani Karabakh schools in different countries, the activities of our compatriots abroad during the participation of Azerbaijani athletes in international competitions and the effectiveness of cooperation with the Turkic diaspora.
Ambassador Hasan Hasanov shared his views and recommendations on the organization of our compatriots living in Poland, as well as their better integration into society.
At the event, our compatriots initiated the establishment of a Coordinating Council for joint and more coordinated activities. Based on voting, Khalil Hasanov, Lala Zeynalova and Rasul Mammadov, were elected coordinators of the Coordination Council of Polish Azerbaijanis.
Afterwards the delegation visited the Department for Cooperation with Polish Diaspora and Poles Abroad of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland. The Deputy Director, Slavomir Kowalski and Diplomat Rafal Poborski hosted Azerbaijani delegation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland. It was reported that millions of Polish people live in different countries today and were always in the spotlight of the state. It was spoken in detail about the diaspora policy of Azerbaijani State, the projects implemented by the Committee,
Mr Muradov says that joint activities of azerbaijani and polish diasporas, the development of the joint cooperation In the implementation of various projects can contribute to the friendly relations between the two countries.
Azerbaijanis living in Poland, as well as the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories.
Representatives of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora met with students and teaching staff at Warsaw University. The participants of the competition «What do I know about Azerbaijan» held by the Warsaw University also attended this meeting. The existence of the department for Azerbaijani Studies at this ancient University was emphasized as a positive case.
The speeches delivered by the university teachers and Azerbaijani scientists, Nargiz Akhundova and the head of the Azerbaijan Cultural Centre, Shahla Kazimova were very much welcomed at the meeting. Recalling their visit to Azerbaijan and returning with great impressions from that country, the Polish students also presented a video of their visit. The university was presented with books on the history and culture of Nagorno-Karabakh, an integral part of Azerbaijan.
Delegation of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora held several meetings in Hungary. The visit of State Committee’s delegation to Hungary started on October 25. On the first day, the delegation visited the monument to the national leader, Heydar Aliyev at the Azerbaijani Embassy in Hungary and laid flowers. Then there was a meeting with Farkas Gergely, the head of the Hungarian-Azerbaijani inter-parliamentary friendship group. Chairman of the State Committee, Fuad Muradov, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Hungary, Vilayat Guliyev and the delegation members attended the event. During the discussions, the parties exchanged views on diaspora and migration issues. Gergely spoke about the history and effective development of friendly relations between the two countries, as well as the diaspora policy implemented towards Hungarian communities living abroad. The head of the friendship group commented
The Azerbaijani diaspora Is active In Hungary, which has a positive Impact on the relations between the two countries and that relations are of great Importance for both Hungary and azerbaijan.
on the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories and underlined Hungary’s support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
Fuad Muradov noted his appreciation of the existing friendly relations between the two countries. He also spoke of Azerbaijan’s policy regarding the diaspora, the State Committee’s structure, activities and large-scale projects, the activities of the Azerbaijani communities abroad, the integration of our compatriots into the local community, the protection of national identity, the educational life of Azerbaijani students in Hungary and the international projects where the Hungarian youth had participated.
Ambassador Vilayet Guliyev stated that such a meeting was a positive step at a time when both countries were experiencing an important period of development. He provided information about Azerbaijani youth living in Hungary and stressed the great importance attached by our compatriots to the education in this country. It was emphasized that the Azerbaijani diaspora
is active in Hungary, which has a positive impact on the relations between the two countries and that bilateral relations are of great importance for both Hungary and Azerbaijan.
At the end of the talks, Gergely was presented with souvenirs on the history and culture of Azerbaijan on behalf of the State Committee. Later, the head of the friendship group introduced the Azerbaijani representatives to the ancient history of the building of Hungarian Parliament.
The joint activities of Azerbaijani and Hungarian diaspora members were discussed in Hungary. A meeting was held at the representation of the Turkish Council in Budapest. During the meeting the views were expressed on Hungarian communities around the world, problems of migration, integration of Diasporas in different countries into local communities.
Chairman of the State Committee, Fuad Muradov spoke about the geography of the Azerbaijani Diaspora, the activities of the Azerbaijani community in Hungary, its relations with the Hungarian people, and the on-going projects for the preservation of national identity, culture and language of our compatriots. The chairman highly appreciated the work of the representation.
On October 26, Fuad Muradov also attended the founding meeting of the Coordination Council of Azerbaijanis living in Eastern Europe in Budapest. The event was attended by Ambassador Vilayat Guliyev and our compatriots living and studying in Eastern Europe.
Speaking about the activities of Azerbaijanis living in Eastern Europe, Ambassador Guliyev praised the work carried out by the State Committee for the organization of our compatriots and stressed the fruitful visit of the State Committee’s delegation to Hungary. The Ambassador said that our compatriots living abroad play an important role in the promotion of Azerbaijan, but he also believes that it will be useful to hold constituent meetings and that the establishment of Coordination Councils will be beneficial for further strengthening of the process.
Fuad Muradov spoke about the State’s diaspora policy, opportunities for the organization of Azerbaijanis around the world and their ways of integration into the societies of the
countries where they live and work. Stressing the need for such open discussions with our compatriots, the chairman stated that, regardless of the country of residence, every Azerbaijani should work towards preserving the independence of the Azerbaijani State, promoting Azerbaijan in the world. In this regard, Fuad Muradov also emphasised that the intellectual potential of Azerbaijanis living in Eastern Europe is high. Participants were informed that an Azerbaijani house will open in Hungary.
A presentation of the Fund for Support to Azerbaijani Diaspora was given at the meeting, and a video showing the activities of the State Committee was also displayed to participants.
One of the coordinators of the Coordinating Council of Polish Azerbaijanis, the winner of the essay competition held during the 2nd Summer Camp of Diaspora Youth, Ms. Lale Zeynalova was presented a gift on behalf of the State Committee. Later on that day, the Coordination Council was established and coordinators were selected.
There was a wide exchange of views on the activities of the Coordinating Council, problems of our compatriots were discussed and the questions they’re interested in have been answered.
Another meeting of the delegation was held with the Hungarian teachers at the Yunus Emre Institute.
The chairman of the State Committee, Fuad Muradov spoke to the participants of the diaspora policy of Azerbaijan, the activities of the organization headed by him.
The delegation from the State Committee was informed that the teachers at that university were trying to introduce Azerbaijan to Hungarian students and Hungary to Azerbaijani students.
They also talked about a film, «Ceasefire» shot by the Hungarian-Turan Foundation in Karabakh. Andras Biro, the
The founding meeting of the coordination council of azerbaijanis living In Eastern Europe In Budapest was held on October 26. The event was attended by chairman of the State committee Fuad Muradov and our compatriots living and studying In Eastern Europe.
founder of the Hungarian-Turan Foundation, said that they wanted to bring Karabakh realities to the Hungarian public by making the film. It was noted that the film about the occupation of the territories of Karabakh by the Armenians was widely presented in Hungary.
The delegation thanked the leadership of the Yunus Emre Institute for an interesting meeting in a friendly atmosphere. It was underlined that such meetings have a positive impact on the closer integration, organization of our Diaspora, and the cooperation of Turkish-speaking people living abroad.
At the end of the meeting, the Azerbaijani delegation became acquainted with the exhibition organized by the Institute.