Shahdag Mountain Resort visitor numbers hit record levels
By Rashid Shirinov
The Shahdag Winter-Summer Tourism Complex ended the winter season with quite a considerable number of tourists.
During the 6th winter season, more than 120,000 tourists visited Shahdag, and this is the record indicator for the entire activity period of the tourist complex.
Up to half of the resort’s visitors were foreign tourists, mainly from the UAE, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Kingdom and Kuwait. As usual, this year special interest was shown to skiing - 30 percent of the tourist complex visitors were ski lovers.
Depending on the weather conditions, the winter season in the resort continues from December to April.
The Shahdag Mountain Resort has already started preparations for the summer season. Prior to its opening, visitors can rest in the five-star Shahdag Hotel and Spa.
Appearance of ski tourism in the southern country was something improbable and impossible for many, whilst this did not prevent development of successful winter tourism complexes in Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan, an incredibly beautiful area of unique nature contrasts: 9 out of 11 climate zones are observed in the country. Northern region is adjacent to the ridge of the Caucasus Mountains, and winters here are cold and snowy.
The country decided to use this advantage in January 2013 and in 30 km from the town of Gusar, the first hotels and the ski slopes of the complex Shahdag was opened. It stands 2,500 meters above sea level and serves as an outstanding getaway with its rich nature, fresh air, and wonderful climate. The temperatures at Shahdag ranges from winter lows of -20°C to pleasant summer evenings of 20°C.
There are brand new hotels such as Zirva, Park Chalet, Gaya Residence, and PIK Palace that meet modern international standards and are stylishly designed to ensure maximum comfort for the visitors.
Shahdag is a right holiday destination due to its novelty, positive feedback from tourists, as well as the fact that the resort is still not overcrowded with tourists.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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