Azerbaijan, new destination for Gulf tourists
By Rashid Shirinov
Azerbaijan has turned into the hot spot destination for GCC tourists with 30 times increase of visitors from UAE and GCC, Arabian Gazette reported, noting that the increase was achieved thanks to the recent simplification of visa obtaining procedure.
Given the wonderful climate of Azerbaijan, its culture, cuisine, nature, attractions, and diversity, a rapid increase in was observed tourist flow from Arab countries into the country. The tourists mainly visit the most popular destinations – Baku, Gabala, Quba and many other cities.
Azerbaijan has become a favorite destination for tourists from the Arab Countries with the Tourism Ministry informing that about 10,086 people visited Azerbaijan from the UAE and 6,624 persons from the rest of GCC in March and April alone.
“Spend per tourist is still the same as previously estimated by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). With the average being $ 700 per tourist. As you can see, this makes for an increase of 4.6 percent between January and June, a figure 30-times higher than the indicator for the same period of last year,” Chairman of the representative office Mr. Rashid Al Noori told the newspaper.
Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is the most visited region of the country – the city recorded the highest growth of tourists coming from the Gulf countries. Other most popular places of Azerbaijan are Gabala and Naftalan, followed by Shahdag, Quba, Ismayilli, Gakh and Zagatala.
The statistics show that Azerbaijan welcomes over 600 tourists per day from Gulf countries. Such airlines as “Azerbaijan Airlines”, “Iraqi Airways”, “FlyDubai” and “Qatar Airways” facilitate their arrival.
With the representative office in Dubai spearheading Azerbaijan promotions throughout the GCC, Azerbaijan’s proximity to the GCC, increased flights to Baku with Fly Dubai, Azerbaijan Airlines plus the daily Qatar Airways flights from Doha to Baku, and five-star accommodation options, Azerbaijan looks forward to an increase in Arab travelers, expat, couples, family holidays as well as the MICE, Medical and soft adventure sectors.
Today, there are about 570 accommodation facilities and 300 travel agencies in Azerbaijan. The prices for hotels and hostels became even more attractive for the foreign visitors due to the devaluation of the national currency in 2015. The provided accommodation establishments are of any price range, starting from just $6-7 per night in hostel and $25 in hotels.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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