azerbaijan state tourism agency

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TOURISM POLICY OF AZERBAIJAN

Famous English traveler and merchant Anthony Jackson (XVI century), Russian traveler Afanasi Nikitin “traveling behind 3 Seas” (XV century), famous writer-traveler of XIX century Alexander Dumas and other outstanding personalities visited Azerbaijan.

It is not surprising that Azerbaijan's rich history, cultural and natural heritage attract tourists from many parts of the world and bring them to this country. The warm Caspian Sea, mild climate, and untouched nature form the basis of beach, active, and hunting tourism.

The development of tourism is necessary for any country with such beautiful nature and natural resources as Azerbaijan. The country is rich in well-groomed sights, high-class resorts that do not lag behind World resorts. Recently, magnificent hotels are being built in four corners of the country: the Shahdag ski center with six hotels in Gusar; the second ski resort in Gabala; the beautiful hotel “Quba Palace” in Guba, etc.

Azerbaijan is an amazing country. Everything here — nature and culture, history and architecture, Customs and traditions are unusual. In Nakhchivan, Kalbajar, Lenkeran, and Babadag, boiling water come out from under the ground, there is a fire temple Ateshgah in Surakhani, and there are also a number of places of interest.

Everyone who wants to restore and strengthen their health is applying to numerous health centers of Azerbaijan. Due to the unusual climate of the southern region, there are numerous healing centers in Lankaran and surrounding areas. The world-famous Naftalan resort has unique biological quality treatment methods. Naftalan is the place where there is a special kind of oil field, which has healing power, which is unique in the world. All these factors are indicators that contribute to the creation and development of medical tourism in Azerbaijan.

Unique architecture, primitive culture, and multi-faceted national cuisine attract tourists from all over the world.

Mugham, which is considered the traditional music genre of the Azerbaijani people, was included in the UNESCO non-Cultural Heritage List and created a new tourist trend-mugham tours.

In summer, ecological tours — hiking natural reserves and hunting routes are common in Azerbaijan. They can be easily combined with ethnographic tours. It is also very interesting to visit Lahij, which is located in the ancient village of Guba, Khinalig, Ismayilli, and preserved the traditions of middle-century copper works.

Tourists visiting the capital of Baku definitely want to visit the historical-architectural reserve — the Shirvanshahs ' Palace and the “Maiden Tower” Icheri Sheher, which is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Azerbaijan has become a tourist center in the region. AITF — “Tourism and travel” —  is held every year in the country, which allows hundreds of people from all over the world to come together.

In 2018, a state Tourism Agency was established on the basis of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The state tourism agency functions as a central executive body implementing state policy and regulation in the field of Tourism.

The most famous hotels in Azerbaijan are the following: Four Seasons Hotel Baku, Hyatt Regency, JW Marriott Absheron Baku Hotel, Grand Hotel Europe, Fairmont Baku, Intercontinental, Pullman Baku, Hilton Baku.

Hotels, leisure places, entertainment and sports centers operate in the provinces of Azerbaijan, including Shahdag Mountain Resort, "Qafqaz Riverside", "Shamakhi Palace Sharadil", “Chinar Hotel Naftalan”, "Rixos Guba Azerbaijan", Markhal Resort, “Galaalti", Duzdag hotel in Nakhchivan. In addition, winter and summer tourist complexes Shahdag and Tufandagh, Aghbulag Ski Center in Nakhchivan, about 50 Olympic sports complexes and facilities with important infrastructure are at the disposal of tourists throughout the year.

At present, a strategy for the development of tourism in liberated territories is being developed. In the near future, Karabakh and the Eastern Zangezur region will be presented to the world as a new tourist destination and become the main tourist center of Azerbaijan.

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Explore Baku's Old City

A city within a city, the Old City is Baku's historic core and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has so much to explore, from the Maiden's Tower and Shirvanshahs' Palace to art galleries, theatres and cafés.  More

take a walking tour of Baku’s oil-boom architecture

Discover the stunning old architecture built in Baku during the late 19th century, early 20th century oil boom. Be inspired by its mix of styles, marvellous details and amazing stories. More

Discover Gobustan's ancient rock art

Uncover an astonishing collection of over 6,000 ancient petroglyphs charting ways of life dating back tens of thousands of years. More

Take a masterclass of Guba cuisine

Learn how to cook the most delicious and traditional Guba sweets like pakhlava or bukma, from local chefs! Take a quick look and see how! More

Play golf in the beautiful countryside of Guba

If you are a golf and nature fan, you should visit Guba’s National Golf Club course in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, a splendid place to play! More

Stroll through time in central Gusar

Discover a peaceful old city highlighted by a few colourful old cottages reminiscent of a time when Gusar was part of the Russian Empire. More

Hit the target at Gabala Shooting Club

Gabala has many shooting experiences set for you to enjoy. Visit the Gabala Shooting Club to improve your aim and enjoy its beautiful natural surroundings. More

Call into Sheki's craft shops

Step into Sheki's boutiques and admire their authentic craftsmanship. Meet artisans and buy some pots, papags, instruments and more. More

get inspired by Azerbaijan

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From oil innovation to artistic creation

The echoes of a rich oil heritage resonate through the settlements of... More

Kamil Aliyev carpets shine with weaving mastery

“Art will never disappear as long as every artist, every professional, no... More

a palace to happiness recounts a history of love

In the vibrant heart of Baku stands the Palace of Happiness, a beautiful building with quite a story to tell. Previously known as the Palace of Marriage Registrations, and historically as Mukhtarov Palace, this site of architectural grandeur shines as a beacon of love. More

Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography

In the heart of Baku's Icherisheher, the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography stands as a testament to Azerbaijan's rich cultural... More

Recreation centres in Nakhchivan

If you're still wondering how best to spend your summer or winter... More

Azerbaijan right now #ExperienceAzerbaijan

Salam azerbaijan practical information.

Here in Azerbaijan you can count on the help of our generous people in every step of your journey. Still, here is some useful information we’d like you to know before you jump on a plane.

Find out if you need a visa to enter Azerbaijan and learn how to apply to get your e-visa. It is easy and fast. learn more

Practical information

Planning a trip can get really complicated, so to make it easier for you here’s a list of all the things you need to consider when planning a visit to Azerbaijan. learn more

There’s plenty to see and do in Azerbaijan all year round, but every season has its own special vibe.  learn more

Useful vocabulary

English and Russian are widely understood and spoken in the capital, Baku, but as you travel across the country knowing a few words of Azerbaijani will definitely enrich your experiences. learn more

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• Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB)

Commitments:

• 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).

Yahya Aliyev

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Azerbaijan tourism industry: prospects and challenges Country set to become tourist hotspot by 2026

ANALYTICS   09 December 2022 - 16:15

This year, Azerbaijan has made steady progress in restoring tourism and overcoming the pandemic impacts in this area: in January-November 2022, the number of foreign visitors more than doubled. According to the Azerbaijan State Tourism Agency (ASTA), in the near future, the growth in the recreational sector will be 20%, and the target of the agency is to increase the number of foreign travelers to around 4 million people by 2026. The key trends that should promote the development of the domestic tourism sector in the next four years were discussed at the "Azerbaijan Tourism Summit - 2022" held on December 8.

The main challenge facing the recreational sector of Azerbaijan is related to the need to quickly overcome the effects of the crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to bring the tourist flow into the country to reach indicators of a prosperous 2019 (in the pre-crisis year the country entered the record 3.170 million) and then exceed that figure. This is the goal set out in the Strategy for Socio-Economic Development of Azerbaijan for 2022-2026: in particular, it is planned to increase the share of tourism in non-oil GDP of the country by 1.5 times compared to 2019, while the share of revenues from the industry in the next four years should increase by an additional 20%.

The "Azerbaijan Tourism Summit 2022," organized on December 8 at the initiative of the State Tourism Agency, discussed key development trends and inclusive opportunities to increase industry momentum, including through the development of new destinations and expanding public-private partnerships. The forum included four-panel discussions on state policy in the tourism sector and regulation of the industry market, aspects of the development of recreation in the liberated territories, marketing activities in the main target markets, as well as the current situation and plans in the tourism industry.

"We can definitely state that the tourism sector has entered into a period of post-pandemic recovery, and this is clearly demonstrated by current statistics: more than 1.458 million foreign tourists visited Azerbaijan in the first 11 months of this year, which shows a 2.1-fold increase compared to the same period in 2021," Chairman of the Azerbaijan State Tourism Agency Fuad Naghiyev said during the summit. The Head of the ASTA noted that the forecasts of the recreational sector development for the current year as a whole have been justified, the industry was able to recover by 50% of the pre-pandemic level, moreover, the growth of tourist traffic in countries such as Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, India climbed above 90%, and indicators for Belarus, Pakistan, and Jordan even exceeded the record statistics of a successful 2019.

It is noteworthy that these successes were achieved despite certain quarantine restrictions in the country, including closed land borders. Well, after such obstacles are overcome, the dynamics of inbound tourism can be further increased. It is quite realistic to implement at the expense of the inflow of tourists from Southeast Asia, as well as the Land of the Rising Sun, as in the coming days Azerbaijan plans to sign a memorandum of cooperation with Japan in the field of tourism.

"Our goal is to increase the number of foreigners visiting Azerbaijan to 4 million people in 2026 and to bring the indicators of domestic tourism to 6 million citizens," Naghiyev said, stressing that in four years the turnover of the domestic tourism sector will quadruple compared to 2021 and reach 11.2 billion manats, of which about half will be formed by foreign tourists.

In order to implement such an ambitious task for the next four years the specialists of the State Agency for Tourism and other specialized structures set the goals on 10 main directions aimed at the comprehensive development of tourism and turning Azerbaijan into a stable and affordable tourist region. In particular, it should be achieved at the expense of the promotion of domestic and foreign tourism in the off-season time, first of all at the expense of the development of balneological resorts which provide services to foreign citizens within the framework of medical tourism. Measures are also planned to simplify visa legislation and increase the share of budget airlines, as the main goal of the strategy is to increase incoming (inbound) tourism, for which a number of additional actions are to be implemented to promote the country's potential to the international level. To this end, it is planned to strengthen cooperation with the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the World Bank, as well as other international structures, in order to implement, in particular, measures to preserve historical and cultural heritage, create new tourist destinations, promote and advertise Azerbaijan's recreational product at the world level during exhibitions, conferences, specialized forums. The implementation of various programs with the participation of the State Tourism Agency, the Bureau of Tourism, and other agencies aimed at expanding the educational and training opportunities of the tourism sector, and the introduction of innovation in this area is also conceived.

These tasks are not as simple as they seem at first glance. Perhaps the biggest obstacle to the development of the incoming sector has to be overcome - the country's lack of access to the services of low-cost airlines. "High prices for air travel to Azerbaijan considered one of the obstacles for inbound tourism: air tickets from different European cities are several times more expensive than to neighboring Türkiye and Georgia," Mohammad Nuriyev, head of the Department of Tourism Policy and Strategy of the ASTA said. - We hope that in the coming years there will be positive changes in this direction for the tourism sector". The head of the department believes that the approaches in the socio-economic development strategy of the country provide for the optimization of the activities of state-owned companies, and the application of a unified approach to them. In this regard, the ASTA has put forward the issue of optimizing the policy in the field of transport tariffs, taking into account the interests of the development of the tourism sector, and these proposals are submitted to the government for consideration.

Another important direction of the tourism sector is to improve service standards in the hotel industry of the country, the correlation of price parameters with the level of services, including through increased participation of hotels in the second year of the program "National system of star classification". As of today, 150 local hotels have applied for the star classification program, about 100 applications were considered and 44 hotels were awarded 5, 4, and 3 stars and received corresponding certificates. Of course, this work should be accelerated by connecting a considerable part of more than 600 hotels and hotel-type facilities available in the Republic to the system of star classification. According to the new law "On tourism" each hotel must apply for receiving stars within six months from the beginning of its activity, and though the implementation of this process was disrupted during the pandemic COVID-19, today the efforts of the ASTA are aimed at expanding consulting work with hotels, providing them with consulting support in this issue.

In perspective, ASTA should strengthen its participation in the regulation of not always simple relations between hotels and travel agencies. It is also necessary to encourage the creation of a preferential mechanism (including during the off-season) for domestic travel agencies, which express dissatisfaction with the lack of benefits in the pricing policy of the local hotels.

No less important task is to improve the skills of personnel in hotels, tourist guides, and other participants of the tourism sector in accordance with modern international requirements. At the V General Assembly of the Azerbaijan Hotels Association, its executive director Gunay Saglam raised the topic of personnel shortage. "One of the problems faced by the hotel industry in our country is related to the lack of qualified personnel. Currently, some of the national workforces is working in Qatar, largely because of the higher pay. But we continue to build our human resource capacity, and to this end, we are working with the State Employment Agency under the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, as well as doing relevant work in universities," Saglam notes.

All these tasks must be implemented in the shortest possible time, taking into account the creation of a number of new destinations in the country as the development of hotel and resort business in the Karabakh and East Zangazur economic regions. In this regard, the cooperation with Türkiye, Pakistan, the Gulf States, and other countries - members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which show genuine interest in investing in recreational projects in the liberated territories and attract here tourists from Islamic countries, is considered significant. The ASTA believes that the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan will become open to foreign tourists in 2024, and although demining and the creation of primary infrastructure is still underway here, construction of the first tourist facilities has already begun in Shusha, Kalbajar and Tartar districts, including in the village of Sugovushan.

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Azerbaijan Travel Advisory

Travel advisory november 2, 2023, azerbaijan - level 2: exercise increased caution.

Reissued after periodic review with general security updates.

Exercise increased caution in Azerbaijan due to  terrorism concerns and areas of armed conflict . Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory. 

Do not travel to:

• The border region with Armenia.
• The  Nagorno-Karabakh  region and surrounding territories due to recent hostilities.

Country Summary:  Terrorist groups that continue to plot attacks pose a risk in Azerbaijan. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas. 

Until September 2020 the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding territories were under Armenian control. Following armed hostilities in the fall of 2020 and fall of 2023, Azerbaijan took control of these seven territories and Nagorno-Karabakh. Further military activity could occur in the region.  

Read the  country information  page for additional information on travel to Azerbaijan.

If you decide to travel to Azerbaijan:

• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program  ( STEP ) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Follow the Department of State on  Facebook  and  Twitter .
• Review the  Country Security Report  for Azerbaijan.
• Avoid demonstrations. 
• Stay alert in locations frequented by foreigners. 
• Monitor local media for breaking events and adjust your plans based on new information.
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the  Traveler’s Checklist .
• Visit the CDC page for the latest  Travel Health Information  related to your travel.
• Visit our website for  Travel to High-Risk Areas .

Border with Armenia– Level 4: Do Not Travel There is the potential for fighting along the Azerbaijan-Armenia border as part of the ongoing armed conflict. U.S. citizens should avoid the area.  Exercise caution on roads near Azerbaijan’s border with Armenia. Be aware that some portions of the road may cross international boundaries without notice. Roads may be controlled by checkpoints or closed to travelers without notice. The U.S. embassy has prohibited embassy employees and their families from non-essential travel to the border region. 

Nagorno-Karabakh – Level 4: Do Not Travel The U.S. government is unable to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in and around Nagorno-Karabakh due to landmine contamination and restricted access.

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State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Why choose our destination.

The State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan was established on the basis of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan in accordance with the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated April 20, 2018 "On Some Measures to Improve State Governance in Culture and Tourism". According to the Statute of the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan approved by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated September 21, 2018, the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan implements the state policy and regulation in the field of tourism and protection of historical and cultural monuments. is the executive body.

Distance from airport

15.53 mi. from city center

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Hobbs orders hiring freeze, wants agencies to propose spending cuts

Bob Christie, Capitol Media Services // April 21, 2024 //

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CBP Announces Next Phase in Fight Targeting Criminals Funneling Fentanyl into American Communities

NOGALES , AZ – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) today announced that it will lead an expanded, multi-agency effort to target the transnational criminals funneling fentanyl from Mexico into American communities. Operation Plaza Spike targets the cartels that facilitate the flow of deadly fentanyl, as well as its analogs and precursors and tools to make the drugs. It is designed to disrupt operations in the “plazas,” cartel territories located directly south of the United States that are natural logistical chokepoints within the cartels’ operations. This is the next phase in CBP’s Strategy to Combat Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Drugs , a whole-of-government and international effort to anticipate, identify, mitigate, and disrupt illicit synthetic drug producers, suppliers, and traffickers.

Operation Plaza Spike will employ multiple tactics, including seizing illicit proceeds and scrutinizing related cross-border business entities and cross-border trade. Operation Plaza Spike includes releasing the name of the plazas’ senior ranking cartel officials, the “plaza bosses,” to increase public and law enforcement pressure on them. Plaza bosses control and profit from all illicit activity through the plaza – extortion, kidnapping, as well as the smuggling of humans, dangerous drugs, and firearms. CBP will leverage partnerships, authorities, and resources of other government agencies in our efforts to gather intelligence, disrupt and degrade illicit operations, and deliver legal consequences.

“So long as fentanyl and other illicit opioids wreak tragedy across American communities, the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security will remain unrelenting in their work stopping these deadly drugs from hitting our streets and taking lives,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Operation Plaza Spike is a critical step in our ongoing whole-of-Department campaign to directly attack the transnational criminal organizations that peddle narcotics, death, and destruction for profit. We are sparing no effort to dismantle cartels and ensure everyone from kingpins to plaza bosses are brought to justice.”

CBP’s first target is the Nogales Plaza, located directly south of the border crossing at Nogales, Arizona. Sergio Valenzuela Valenzuela, aka Gio, the Nogales Plaza boss, was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2018 for his role as a Sinaloa Cartel Plaza Boss .

“We are entering the next phase in our fight against fentanyl: one where we are going after the plaza bosses, whose organizations are responsible for virtually everything that is smuggled into the United States. By targeting them for enforcement action, we can directly impact their operations and ability to traffic fentanyl into the United States, which makes its way into communities all across the country,” said Troy A. Miller, CBP Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner. “Sergio Valenzuela Valenzuela is the first plaza boss that we target, but he won’t be the last. Just as the men and women of CBP are steadfast in the fight against fentanyl - will be unrelenting in our pursuit of those people and organizations that threaten the safety and security of our people and our country.”

Valenzuela Valenzuela and his organization allegedly are responsible for moving thousands of pounds of fentanyl to the U.S. border. Nearly every day, CBP officers intercept fentanyl headed from Valenzuela Valenzuela’s plaza northbound through CBP ports of entry onward to cities across the United States.

Operation Plaza Spike is just the latest effort by CBP, an agency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as part of this Administration’s efforts to stem the flow illicit opioids, including fentanyl, and cracking down on the Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) that traffic them. Through a whole-of-government effort, the Department has stopped more illicit fentanyl and arrested more individuals for fentanyl-related crimes in the last two fiscal years than in the previous five years combined.

CBP is also in the midst of Operation Apollo, and announced today that it will expand into Arizona to continue gathering and utilizing intelligence, and focusing on state and local partnerships to interdict fentanyl. Operation Apollo was launched by CBP in Southern California in October 2023 as a counter-fentanyl joint operation. CBP has evaluated the successes and lessons learned from Operation Apollo, and Operation Apollo – Arizona is now replicating it within the Arizona corridor, integrating all local law enforcement resources in Arizona to interdict finished fentanyl products, illicit precursor chemicals, adulterants, pill press equipment, illicit proceeds, and weapons.

In addition to CBP’s efforts to target operations that move fentanyl north, as well as guns south, CBP will be leveraging partnerships, authorities, and resources of other government agencies.

In 2023, DEA seized a record 79.5 million fentanyl pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder. Throughout Arizona the DEA Phoenix Field Division seized more than 42 million fentanyl pills last year.

“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our nation has ever faced. The men and women of DEA are relentlessly focused on saving lives by defeating the two cartels responsible for the majority of fentanyl and methamphetamine poisoning our communities – the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels.” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram . “DEA proactively investigates cartel members and associates, like Sergio Valenzuela Valenzuela, who allegedly oversee the transportation and distribution of these deadly drugs while interagency partners, like U.S. Customs and Border Protection, interdict shipments at the border before they enter our country. These partnerships ensure those responsible face justice for their crimes.”

As a collaborative partner, HSI will leverage its abilities, ample customs authorities, and investigative capabilities to continue to look at the TCOs supply and distribution chains, while taking dangerous, destructive, and deadly drugs off our streets together with the violence that comes with the illicit activities of these criminal enterprises. HSI Arizona has dedicated groups of special agents assigned to combat drug and human smuggling as well as southbound weapons and bulk cash smuggling.

“HSI stands at the ready to continue dedicating our resources, unique customs authorities and investigative capabilities toward joining our federal partners in not only disrupting the trafficking of lethal drugs into our country but capturing and prosecuting the plaza bosses who profit from poisoning our communities,” said HSI Countering Transnational Organized Crime Assistant Director Ricardo Mayoral . “We will leverage the combined strength of our partnered efforts to relentlessly pursue, disrupt and dismantle one of the most prolific and violent cartels in the world.”

With the launch of its updated Fentanyl Strategy CBP Strategy to Combat Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Drugs Report in fall 2023, CBP has continued to look at innovative ways to stop fentanyl trafficking. The agency continues to utilize its unique authorities and resources as the nation’s border security agency to lead the whole-of-government approach to dismantling the means and methods of the production and distribution of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, in addition to its historic target of interdicting narcotics at the border of the United States.

CBP officials have previously targeted fentanyl interdictions along the southwest border of the United States during Operation Blue Lotus, Four Horsemen, and Rolling Wave as well as precursors and production materials used to make fentanyl during Operation Artemis . With this latest operation, CBP is utilizing another avenue to disrupt the networks that create and distribute these drugs.

CBP and DEA are also calling on the public to provide any relevant information they may have about Sergio Valenzuela Valenzuela, his movements, his associates, and his operation. Tips can be provided anonymously by calling or texting 619-540-6912 via phone, Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal. Information can also be submitted through Snapchat at narcos_tips or by using the Threema ID: 2VBZFZTY.

For more information about CBP’s efforts to combat fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, visit CBP Strategy to Combat Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Drugs Report .

Operation Plaza Spike press conference: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/918681/operation-plaza-spike-press-conference

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the comprehensive management, control, and protection of our nation’s borders, combining customs, immigration, border security, and agricultural protection at and between official ports of entry.

These 5 Arizona hotels were just named among the world's best. Here's why they stand out

Five Arizona hotels were just named among the best in the world for 2024.

Travel + Leisure unveiled its 2024 T+L 500 list of the world's best hotels, compiled based on ratings from its readers, in its May issue. The list includes five Arizona hotels, including four that made T+L's 2023 best hotels in Arizona ranking .

Readers evaluate based on their levels of quality, luxury, service and amenities. Here's a look at which Arizona hotels made the Travel + Leisure 2024 best hotels list.

For more hotels recognized as being among the best of metro Phoenix, read about the honorees in  U.S. News & World Report's 2024 ranking ,  Forbes' 2024 Star Awards , and  Esquire's best new hotels in the world .

Five Arizona hotels selected by Travel + Leisure

Readers of Travel + Leisure, America's largest travel media brand, selected five Arizona hotels on its 2024 ranking of the world's best hotels:

• Castle Hot Springs, Morristown.
• The Hermosa Inn, Paradise Valley.
• Mountain Shadows Resort, Paradise Valley.
• Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, A Gurney's Resort & Spa, Paradise Valley.
• Tanque Verde Ranch, Tucson.

“We’re honored to be recognized on the highly coveted T+L 500 List,” said Andrew Chippindall, general manager of Mountain Shadows Resort. “It’s a true testament to our team’s unwavering commitment to providing exceptional experiences for our treasured guests.”

How Travel + Leisure World's Best hotels 2024 were chosen

The T+L 500 list is derived from T+L's annual World's Best Awards, selected based on reader reviews and feedback. Readers were surveyed about their travel experiences around the world, including hotels, cities, islands, airlines, cruise ships and other experiences.

Readers rated hotels based on their rooms and facilities, location, service, food and overall value. They scored each category on a scale from "excellent" to "poor."

The hotels recognized this year are favorites among the publication's readers, who named Castle Hot Springs the best Arizona hotel of 2021 and 2022 and the Hermosa Inn the state's best of 2023. All except for Tanque Verde Ranch were included on last year's list of the 10 best hotels in Arizona.

Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at   [email protected] . Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:   @salerno_phx .

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