Tourism in Azerbaijan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tourism in Azerbaijan has been an important sector of the Azerbaijani economy since the 1990s. According to Azerbaijan's Center for Economic and Social Development, the country is in 39th place among 148 countries in tourism competitiveness indicators.[1] The World Travel and Tourism Council reported that Azerbaijan is among the top ten countries with the greatest increase in visitor exports from 2010 to 2016. The country had the world's fastest-developing travel and tourism economy (a 46.1% increase) in 2017.[2][3] To promote tourism, Azerbaijan sponsored Atlético Madrid jerseys reading "Azerbaijan – Land of Fire". In 2018, a new tourism brand and a slogan "take another look" were introduced.[4]
Visas
Tourist visas can be obtained from an Azerbaijani embassy or electronically online without an embassy visit. In 2016, a tax-free shopping system was introduced to attract foreign shoppers. Purchases must be made up to 90 days before export to be eligible for the tax refund.
In January 2017, Azerbaijan introduced its electronic visa for a single-entry visit of up to 30 days.[5] The e-visa[6] is available to tourists from 93 countries, who can apply on the e-visa website.[7][8] A visa is not required for citizens of the Commonwealth of Independent States (except Turkmenistan and Armenia) who intend to visit Azerbaijan within 90 days.
Due to a state of war with Armenia,[9] the government of Azerbaijan has banned the entry of citizens from Armenia, as well as citizens of any other country who are of Armenian descent (including Armenian Russians, Turkish Armenians, etc.),[10] to the Republic of Azerbaijan.[11]
Statistics
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Over 1.4 million tourists visited Azerbaijan in 2008. In 2017, a record-high number of 2,691,998 foreign citizens visited Azerbaijan.[15] Visitors to the country in 2017 came from the following countries:[16]
In 2024, Azerbaijan received about 2.63 million foreign visitors, a 25.9% increase on 2023, of whom roughly 1.86 million arrived for tourism purposes, according to the State Statistical Committee.[17]
| Country | Number |
|---|---|
 Russia | 853,082 |
 Georgia | 537,710 |
 Iran | 362,597 |
 Turkey | 301,553 |
 United Arab Emirates | 102,360 |
 Iraq | 62,454 |
 Ukraine | 57,756 |
 Saudi Arabia | 33,273 |
 Kazakhstan | 31,994 |
 United Kingdom | 29,514 |
 Uzbekistan | 16,093 |
 Germany | 13,042 |
 Belarus | 12,320 |
 United States | 12,291 |
 Israel | 10,814 |
 Italy | 8,654 |
 Turkmenistan | 7,637 |
| Saudi Arabia | 7,463 |
 China | 7,363 |
 India | 6,012 |
 France | 5,785 |
| Total | 2,691,998 |
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 900,000 |
| 2007 | 1,100,000 |
| 2008 | 1,400,000 |
| 2009 (9 months) | 1,000,988 |
| 2010 | 1,850,000 |
| 2011 | 2,239,000 |
| 2012 | 2,484,048 |
| 2013 | 2,508,904 |
| 2014 | 2,297,804 |
| 2015 | 2,006,176 |
| 2016 | 2,242,783 |
| 2017 | 2,691,998 |
| 2018 | 2,849,600 |
| 2019 | 3,170,000 |
| 2020 | 1,299,400 |
| 2021 | 792,000 |
| 2022 | 1,602,000 |
| 2023 | 2,086,000 |
| 2024 | 2,626,700 |
| 2025 | 2,570,000 |
| Rank | Nationality | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | 701,110 | 786,684 | 876,013 | 903,242 | 843,851 | 685,555 | 744,125 | 854,331 | 880,029 | 932,984 |
| 2 | Georgia | 491,942 | 573,063 | 763,251 | 810,390 | 699,532 | 571,648 | 506,306 | 538,213 | 610,556 | 725,465 |
| 3 | Turkey | 214,594 | 242,606 | 295,549 | 361,413 | 314,476 | 288,620 | 313,341 | 301,924 | 291,499 | 316,628 |
| 4 | Saudi Arabia | 312 | 284 | 380 | 479 | 507 | 727 | 7,463 | 33,312 | 73,284 | 107,230 |
| 5 | United Arab Emirates | 412 | 469 | 551 | 638 | 821 | 2,379 | 53,180 | 102,498 | 94,031 | 68,346 |
| 6 | India | 3,755 | 3,715 | 5,048 | 4,791 | 4,853 | 5,584 | 6,012 | 14,244 | 39,051 | 65,118 |
| 7 | Ukraine | 31,500 | 40,030 | 42,393 | 51,802 | 58,201 | 55,119 | 55,508 | 57,818 | 57,707 | 59,116 |
| 8 | Turkmenistan | 4,072 | 3,969 | 4,906 | 4,766 | 5,398 | 6,800 | 7,637 | 17,101 | 28,305 | 52,127 |
| 9 | Iraq | 549 | 679 | 917 | 991 | 738 | 2,147 | 62,983 | 62,547 | 67,514 | 50,723 |
| 10 | Kazakhstan | 19,209 | 28,225 | 25,295 | 28,226 | 29,468 | 27,145 | 31,994 | 36,360 | 37,824 | 47,551 |
| 11 | Israel | 6,346 | 5,671 | 6,369 | 6,989 | 7,534 | 8,325 | 10,814 | 15,385 | 40,185 | 47,056 |
| 12 |  Pakistan | 1,949 | 1,743 | 1,675 | 1,767 | 1,817 | 2,193 | 3,998 | 17,579 | 41,307 | 46,602 |
| 13 | United Kingdom | 24,160 | 24,646 | 29,125 | 32,841 | 33,563 | 34,892 | 29,514 | 31,751 | 29,417 | 36,914 |
| 14 |  Kuwait | 322 | 324 | 233 | 392 | 419 | 528 | 1,699 | 16,481 | 29,803 | 30,303 |
| 15 | China | 5,846 | 6,224 | 5,060 | 6,465 | 5,930 | 5,094 | 7,363 | 10,274 | 15,730 | 25,542 |
| Others | 959,375 | 1,012,692 | 1,120,726 | 980,164 | 974,674 | 1,277,506 | 1,409,215 | 1,643,517 | 1,484,033 | 558,668 | |
| Total | 1,962,906 | 2,239,141 | 2,484,048 | 2,508,904 | 2,297,804 | 2,006,176 | 2,248,773 | 2,696,745 | 2,849,592 | 3,170,373 |
| Rank | Nationality | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | 624,753 | 446,712 | 258,315 | 225,201 |
| 2 | Turkey | 378,045 | 311,804 | 197,907 | 160,504 |
| 3 | Iran | 165,214 | 170,450 | 125,358 | 72,783 |
| 4 | India | 117,302 | 60,731 | 5,705 | 12,769 |
| 5 | Georgia | 104,450 | 82,206 | 62,666 | 184,228 |
| 6 | Saudi Arabia | 80,675 | 96,233 | 8,834 | 11,945 |
| 7 |  Qatar | 58,062 | 3,411 | 1,912 | 1,567 |
| 8 | Pakistan | 55,148 | 51,691 | 2,948 | 7,773 |
| 9 | Kuwait | 29,692 | 22,609 | 2,289 | 7,076 |
| 10 | Israel | 29,091 | 23,933 | 6,655 | 4,238 |
| 11 | United Arab Emirates | 45,759 | 41,085 | 17,320 | 7,951 |
| 12 | Uzbekistan | 39,655 | 26,301 | 4,213 | 5,283 |
| 13 | Ukraine | 31,267 | 27,741 | 17,428 | 16,953 |
| 14 | Belarus | 27,612 | 18,562 | 5,730 | 6,036 |
| 15 | Turkmenistan | 26,010 | 11,188 | 2,738 | 8,257 |
| Others | 283,745 | 285,592 | 348,513 | 272,148 | |
| Total | 2,085,790 | 1,602,279 | 791,751 | 795,722 |
Most of the visitors were from Europe, Asia, and North America. There were 1,818,258 foreigners in Azerbaijan in 2017.[19] The overwhelming majority were citizens of the Russian Federation, Georgia, Iran, Turkey and UAE. “Azerbaijan expects a massive flow of tourists from the Arab countries, Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, much less will come from Ukraine and Belarus, and only a small flow from European states.[20]
Azerbaijan had 320 hotels in 2007, 370 in 2008, 452 in 2009, 499 in 2010, 508 in 2011 and 514 in 2012. The country has 230 tourist agencies and 560 hotels and hostels.[21]
State support
Azerbaijan began tourism-development planning for 2002–2005 and 2010–2014.[1] The programs compiled tourism statistics, particularly its effect on the GNP. The Ministry of Tourism made a development study from 2008 to 2016[22] to increase accommodations and attract foreigners.
In March 2018, Ministry of Culture tourism head Aydin Ismiyev expressed a desire to develop Halal tourism.[23] The following month, the 17th international tourism and travel exhibition (AITF 2018) opened.[24] Azerbaijan also provides culinary tourism.[25]
Resort areas
In addition to the capital, Baku, Azerbaijan has a number of resort areas with varied climates and a variety of flora and fauna. Notable areas are the cities of Ganja, Nakhchivan, Gabala and Shaki[26][27] Shaki is noted for its architectural heritage: the 1763 Palace of Shaki Khans,[28] mausoleums and fortresses. Nakhchivan was a centre of traditional medicine and has salt mines and mausoleums. Lankaran, near the Caspian Sea, has a history dating back to the 10th century BC.[26][29]
Historic monuments
Baku's Old City
Baku has a number of historic and architectural monuments. The Old City is its ancient core. In December 2000, the Old City (including the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower) was named Azerbaijan's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.[30]
The Maiden Tower, in the south-western part of the walled city, was built in two stages. Its bottom part, 13.7 metres (45 ft) high, is dated by most experts to the 6th–7th centuries BC. The tower has a total height of 29.7 metres (97 ft), with a diameter of 16.5 metres (54 ft). The wall is 5 metres (16 ft) thick at the bottom, tapering to 4 metres (13 ft) at the top. The tower has of eight tiers and a 21-metre-deep (69 ft) well. It was built by 12th-century architect Masud ibn Davud, who was probably the father of the architect of the Mardakan Round Tower.[31] Its foundation is believed to be a Sasanid-era Zoroastrian site.[32]
Ateshgah of Baku
The Ateshgah of Baku is a temple in the south-western Suraxanı raion on the Absheron Peninsula, 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Baku. West of the Caspian Sea, it was built by Hindu, Sikh and Parsi traders from the Indian subcontinent during the 17th and 18th centuries. Ateshgah is a fire temple, with its central stone shrine on a pocket of natural gas. The present structure was built around 1713, and the central shrine was funded by the merchant Kanchanagaran in 1810.
The Absheron Peninsula is noted for its shallow oil deposits, which trigger natural oil fires.[33] Zoroastrianism has a long history in Azerbaijan, and the region was considered sacred by Zoroastrians due to these natural fires.[33] Scholars have speculated that the temple may have been an ancient Zoroastrian shrine, which was destroyed by invading Islamic armies during the Muslim conquest of Persia and its neighbouring regions.[34]
The complex was converted into a museum in 1975 and receives about 15,000 visitors a year. It was nominated as a World Heritage site in 1998 and was declared a state historical-architectural reserve.
Gobustan National Park
Gobustan State Historical and Cultural Reserve, located southwest of Baku, is renowned for its ancient rock carvings and unique geological features, including mud volcanoes. Established in 1966, the reserve was designated a national historical landmark to protect its rich archaeological and natural heritage.
Within the park lies the Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape, home to more than 6,000 petroglyphs dating from approximately 5,000 to 40,000 years ago. These rock engravings depict scenes of prehistoric life, including primitive humans, animals, ritual dances, bullfights, boats with armed oarsmen, warriors with lances, camel caravans, and representations of the sun and stars.
The site also contains remnants of inhabited caves, settlements, and burial grounds, reflecting continuous human presence from the Upper Paleolithic period to the Middle Ages. Covering an area of 537 hectares (1,330 acres), the site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 in recognition of its universal value.[35]
Palace of Shaki Khans
The Palace of Shaki Khans in Shaki, 246 kilometres (153 mi) from Baku, was a summer residence of the Shaki Khanate which was built in the early 18th century. It features decorative tiles, fountains, and several stained-glass windows. The exterior is decorated with dark blue, turquoise and ochre tiles in geometric patterns; the murals, coloured with tempera, are inspired by the poetry of Nizami Ganjavi.[36]
Modern architecture
The white Heydar Aliyev Center, designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Zaha Hadid, is a symbol of modern Baku. It contains two ornamental pools and an artificial lake.[37]
Mountain tourism
Mountain tourism is a popular attraction in Azerbaijan, particularly during the winter season. Two major mountain resorts, Tufandag in the Gabala district and Shahdag in the Gusar district, have been developed to promote winter tourism and alpine sports. Located at altitudes between 2,500–3,000 metres (8,200–9,800 ft) above sea level.
Shahdag Mountain Resort (named after the Greater Caucasus mountain), about 32 kilometres (20 mi) from Qusar, is Azerbaijan's first ski resort.[38] Tufandag, about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from Gabala, has a cable car, skiing, an entertainment center for children and a hotel.[39][40]
Mountain tourism in Azerbaijan is promoted by the Mountain Sports Club (MSC), established in 1999. Members of the club have undertaken expeditions to notable peaks, including Mount Shahdagh.[41]
The village of Lahij,[42] in the southern Greater Caucasus range of northern Azerbaijan about 1,505 metres (4,938 ft) above sea level, is a center of ancient art. Lahij is known for its forests, mountains, waterfalls, historic monuments and ancient artifacts.[43] Laza is a village at the foot of 4,243-metre (13,921 ft) Mount Shahdagh.[44]
Shahdag Mountain Resort in winter
National parks
In addition to Gobustan State Historical and Cultural Reserve, Azerbaijan has eight other national parks including Zangezur National Park (formerly Ordubad National Park), which was renamed and expanded in 2009.[citation needed]
The semi-arid Shirvan National Park has a lake covering about 40 square kilometres (15 sq mi).[citation needed]
Ag-Gel National Park, also semi-arid, is on the Mil plain of the Kura-Aras lowland. Over 140 species of birds are found there, including 89 species of nesting birds such as partridge, spoonbill, swan, teal and bustard. The park is on the Ramsar Convention list of internationally important wetlands.[45]
Hirkan National Park is on the Lankaran Lowland and in the Talysh Mountains.[citation needed]
Altyaghach National Park is 90.5% covered by temperate deciduous broadleaf forest.[citation needed]
The Soviet-era predecessor of Absheron National Park was the Absheron State Nature Preserve which was created in July 1969.[citation needed]
Shahdag National Park, in northern Azerbaijan on the border with Russia and Georgia, was created in 2006. The World Bank allocated a $17 million loan and $8 million grant in 2007, and the government of Japan provided an $8 million grant for the southern Caucasus' largest national park.[46]
Göygöl National Park.was created in 2008.[citation needed]
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Museums
Most museums are located in major cities, such as Baku (including the Baku Museum of Miniature Books), Ganja, Nakhchivan, Sumgait, Lankaran, Mingachevir and Shaki.
Hunting
Azerbaijan permits the hunting of Dagestan goat, wild boar, rabbit, forest dove, quail, partridge, water birds (goose, duck, coot), woodcock, and chamois. Hunting is prohibited in the Aghdam, Khanlar, Goranboy, Dashkasan, Gadabay and Ter Ter regions, the Caspian Sea islands, green zones, protected areas and near cities and resort areas.[47]
