Over 1.7 million tourists visit Land of Fire since early 2016
By Amina Nazarli
Tourist flow to Azerbaijan continues to grow as the country welcomed a record-breaking for the country 1.7 million tourists in the past nine months, according to new figures declared by the Culture and Tourism Ministry.
This year, the country experiences 10.9 percent increase in the tourism sector compared to the same period of 2015, with a large proportion accounted to travelers from Russia, Iran, Turkey and Arab countries.
The figure was predictable, as this year a record number of Arab
tourists visited the Land of Fire, which is, according to many
experts, is linked with the introduction of simplified visa regime
for the UAE citizens.
The country welcomes about 600 tourists from Gulf countries on a
daily basis according to statistics. Over the first six months of
2016, the number of tourists arriving from Arab countries in
Azerbaijan reached 25,000.
“For the nine months, the number of tourists only from the UAE increased by 34 times compared to January-September 2015. The number of tourists from Russia increased by 7.6 percent, from Kazakhstan - by 17.2 percent, and from Iran by 62.9 percent,” according to the Ministry.
Moreover, the number of tourists vacationing in the regions of Azerbaijan this summer increased. So, 751,353 people visited the country’s regions this summer, what is by 23.5 percent more than the same period of 2015.
Summer is an ideal time to visit the country. Recreation and entertainment zones located in Azerbaijan along the Caspian coast, sandy beaches, forests and mountains will deliver an unforgettable experience to all those, who love the sun, sea and sand, picnics and walks on forest trails, swimming under waterfalls and horseback riding.
Another feature of the summer season in Azerbaijan is abundance of vegetables and fruit, admiring with their range and local varieties.
Winter season in Azerbaijan is no less attractive as the summer season, suggesting many activities for individual and family holidays.
Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfaz Garayev said that winter tourism season in the country will be open by December 15. He noted that many resorts have started preparatory process for winter.
“Azerbaijan has developed and implemented a strategic program for the development of tourism. Its main task is to eliminate the dependence of the Azerbaijani tourism and flow of foreign tourists from the seasonal factor,” the minister said.
Despite being a hot country perfect for summer holidays, Azerbaijan is offering wintry holidays for both locals and foreign visitors in its Shahdag and Tufandag complexes, located on the north of the country.
The Shahdag Winter and Summer Tourist Complex, is one of the most advanced construction projects not only in Azerbaijan, but also in the world.
With its pristine landscape, fresh air, mountain glaciers, lush valleys, lakes and waterfalls Shahdag Tourism Complex is an exceptional all year-round tourist destination.
Located in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, these new facilities have already attracted many tourists.
This new entertainment gathers thousands of Azerbaijanis and foreign tourists each year, as it became possible to ski in Azerbaijan without traveling to the neighboring Turkey and Georgia.
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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on
Twitter: @amina_nazarli
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