Why Azerbaijani PR is Doomed?

I've traveled a lot until I've got my first baby girl. It is a different feeling which I've never experienced before, she keeps you coming back home whatever you do and wherever you are. But I still travel locally.

Have you ever been to Azerbaijan? If not, you have to visit this beautiful South Caucasian country. Unmatched food, unbelievable nature and probably the oldest history amongst the Caucasian countries.

I think I've been in all major touristic and other, not so popular, regions of Azerbaijan. In many cases, I was the first guy who filmed them and promoted them to the world. Be it a 5000 years old village which is considered the highest village in Europe or making the first night photos of the Mud Volcanoes in Gobustan I've always wanted my country to be shown to the world. Azerbaijan is mystic, beautiful and warm.

But what I am really proud of is that I and my pal Akpar have rebuilt the highest Ateshgah Temple (Fire Temple) in the world. Azerbaijan used to be a Zoroastrian country before Islam. It took us more than a year to accomplish.

Acquiring the permission to rebuild the temple from the Ministry of Tourism took us long 8 months, sometimes making us question if the Ministry of Tourism was at all interested in promoting the country and rebuilding or maintaining some of its monuments. Anyway, I don't want to go into these details here, it suffices to say that this temple is a magnificent architectural marvel located at 3000 meters above the sea level, between the mountains. The place of power. You can visit that place from May to late September.

When it comes to my country, Azerbaijan, I am always willing to do my best: arranging the VIP tourism or just a showcasing the beauties, nature and ancient sites - it's all a big pleasure to me. Whether I host my friends from abroad or enjoying life with my family and friends locally, I love my country. What I feel sad about is that we, simple people of this country, are not supported in our intention to promote our country in the world. 

Let me tell you a story that will show once again the sad reality due to the government-managed entities. 

I run a small YouTube Channel which I really want to grow. It's a luxury channel, which I started in Dubai and slowly invested my time and effort trying to take it to the next level. It's all about property house tours, luxury cars, expensive watches, business class experience, etc. My small egoistic passion I would say.

Recently I heard about a new railway road and a train route between Ganja and Baku. Trains are brand new with the 3 different classes.

I saw it on TV and told myself why not make a special review of this route and then do some video review of the local kitchen in Ganja, showing potential tourists the tips as to how to enjoy this special touristic route. My plan was to get a first-class ticket to train, tell my experience, then get to Ganja, do some video shootings around the city, go into the local restaurant, taste the food, give some advice and go back to Baku with the same train.

With this in mind, I contacted the PR service of Azerbaijan Railways (ADY). 

They got back to me saying that they would sponsor my trip (two 2-way 1st class tickets), which was really nice of them. We've agreed on the date of the trip. 

However, the night before my trip, there were still no tickets from ADY. I was fine to pick them up at the selling desk in the morning as well but there was no email from ADY at all confirming that the trip would actually happen. 

At about 9 pm I started receiving emails from them regarding the pattern of my trip review. They were worried that I would provide bad feedback. I felt a little bit mistrust but drove away that thought trying to comfort them that my only intention was to showcase how great the new train was, and how comfortable it would be to travel with them, which, in turn, would attract more tourists to the country and more clients to the railway. 

I always try to do honest reviews with the positive gloss, it's my motherland at the end of the day. Whatever I see as a lack or problem, I would email the ADY as a private report which is a service on its own, it is called mystery shopping. But I would do it for free as a gesture. That was my plan. That is the way I saw our cooperation. I was going to do the review purely in Sam Chui's way if you know what I mean - without exposing the problems to the public. 

So, I said yes, I will keep it positive, don't worry about that, will also send you my report regarding the overall experience. But after the next email, I was stunned. It just hit me so hard.

PR Manager of the Azerbaijan Railway asked me to show the final video material for approval before I post it on YouTube. Vloggers and social influencers will understand my frustration. I felt the sense of the Soviet era and its glorious past.

The mentality of the people who were demanding the final video material was a Soviet mentality, nothing really changed. Whatever you think, whatever you do, if you try to control simple review material, it is censoring. That hierarchy still exists and censorship is the tool to control. Everything turned out to be easy to understand. 

I had to cancel this trip, as I understand that, sadly, we are still there, in the post-Soviet era with the bitter sense of the communism. I was told that the Agency's main concern is to control information, to look good in front of the ministry and the president. 

We are living in society, where serving the hierarchy is more important than telling the truth and acting by the rules. Of course, it's not easy to create something new or repair the old system, but censoring simple video review is the right way to go back, to the USSR, where we still live in some way.

What the PR team of  the Azerbaijan Railway should do in the perfect case scenario: 

1. Meet the vloggers and influencers in person. Invite them to the cafe, befriend them.

2. Discuss the details, have a plan, maybe you will create something more precise in the future.

3. Interact with people and staff more, listen to the feedback, create a feedback system.

And, the last but not the least - please install WC in Sumgayit Railway Station, I could not find one. The only toilets people can use are in the business class.