(TAN): The number of tourists visiting Azerbaijan went up 11.4% to 3.1 million on a year-on-year basis in 2019, reports said.
“In 2019, the tourist flow to Azerbaijan increased by 11.4% compared to 2018, up to 3.17 million people,” the State Tourism Agency was quoted by AzerNews as saying.
During same the period, tourist arrivals from Europe reportedly grew to 224,000 people.
“At the same time, the number of tourists from Europe amounted to 224,000 people, which is 14.7 percent more than in 2018,” AzerNews quoted the State Tourism Agency.
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Most of the European tourists arrived from the United Kingdom, with an increase of 25.3% to 36,000, followed by Germany which grew 19.4% to 20,000 visitors, as per reports. The tourist flow from Italy was boosted 10.8% to 12,000 people while that of France grew 15.2% to 9,000, according to reports.
Among the South Asian countries, the largest tourist arrivals were from India – inflow surged 66.8% to 65,000 tourists, and that from Pakistan increased 12.9% to reach 46,000 people, reports said.
As per reports, Turkmenistan sent the maximum number of tourists from Central Asia – numbers grew 85% to 52,000 people. While tourist numbers from Kazakhstan increased 26.1% to 47,000 people, and numbers from Uzbekistan went up 28.3% to 23,000 tourists, according to reports.
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Tourist numbers from Saudi Arabia, a Middle East nation, increased 46.7%, reports said.
“We are delighted to witness an increasing number of bookings to Azerbaijan from Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as a result of this collaboration that aimed at raising awareness about what Azerbaijan has to offer all types of travelers from the GCC countries. We are looking forward to welcoming these travellers in Azerbaijan, a country with so many unique opportunities for unforgettable experiences and adventures,” Florian Sengstschmid, Chief Executive Officer of Azerbaijan Tourism Board, was quoted by EturboNews as saying.
According to reports, the simplification of the process of obtaining visas for convenience of tourists played a crucial role in the growth in tourist numbers in Azerbaijan. At present, citizens of several countries can obtain their tourist visas at the country’s airports, while others can enter with online visas, as per reports.
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Opportunities for tourism have expanded in recent years, with the country reportedly offering environmental, cultural, health and sport tourism, among others. Azerbaijan is home too 300 mud volcanoes that tourists throng for treating diseases associated with skin, cardiovascular, gynecological, urological and gastrointestinal systems, reports said. The country’s capital Baku will reportedly host the Formula 1 Grand Prix and the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship this year, events that are expected to draw overseas tourists to Azerbaijan, as per reports.
In 2018, around 2.8 million tourists from 196 countries visited Azerbaijan, while the numbers could grow 10% over 2019 figures in 2020, according to reports.
Azerbaijan Tourism Board plans to open new representative offices in other countries this year, reports said.
“Representative offices in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, South Korea and Japan will open in the first quarter of this year,” Sengstschmid was quoted by Trend News Agency as saying.
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