Today, Azerbaijan is experiencing the tourism boom. Every day, four flights with tourists arrive in Azerbaijan from Iraq alone. Tourists come to Azerbaijan from different countries of the world. However, the majority of them are from Arab countries. Visitors of Baku are amazed by the beauty of the city, its neatness and hospitality of the people. Azerbaijan is also becoming more attractive as a destination of business tourism. From the beginning of this year, the Azerbaijani government has simplified the visa regime with the Gulf States as well as with Japan, China, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore. It has become one of the factors of the beginning of the mass tourism era in Azerbaijan. The launch of low-cost airlines has also played a significant role in driving the tourism boom. The low-cost companies Wizz Air and Pegasus have started operating from Heydar Aliyev International Airport and Gabala International Airport. “According to estimates, about 600-700 tourists a day arrive in Azerbaijan from the direction of Iraq alone. For us, it is a fantastic figure. According to some data, currently, this figure exceeds 30% of the growth for the first half of 2016. I think that this figure will grow further”- the remark came from Chairman of Azerbaijan Association of Hotels and Restaurants, Samir Dubendi. There are enough sights to see in Azerbaijan in both winter and summer. There are 9 climatic zones here, the warm Caspian Sea, plenty of historical and architectural monuments, some of which have been included in UNESCO’s list. The country, which is located at the crossroads of the east and the west, has preserved its ancient traditions and keeps pace with the times. “Earlier, for example, 10 years ago, we had several types of tourism. Now, the number has increased, therefore, tourists are attracted not only from the Middle East and CIS, but also from Europe. After the simplification of the visa regulations with Iran, we expect even more tourists to visit Azerbaijan” – said Muzaffar Aghakarimov, Advisor to Chairman of Azerbaijan Tourism Association. Representatives of Azerbaijan Tourism Association consider that next year, the number of tourists will increase further as the Islamic Solidarity Games are due in 2017. According to the information provided by Baku hotels, a large number of tourists will be observed in the next two months as well.

• published: 11 Aug 2016
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