Azerbaijan re-writes its domestic tourism strategy

Friday, June 4, 2021

In a usual year, domestic tourism accounts for 54 percent of the overall travel economy for Azerbaijan. When coronavirus hit the country, the international borders were closed, for inbound travelers, domestic tourism became crucial like never before.

Azerbaijan Tourism Board in 2020 introduced the new campaign, “Macəra Yaxındadır” — translating to “Adventure is Near”. It tried to give confidence to the Azerbaijanis to discover the rich and diverse offerings of their country, from the prehistoric petroglyphs of Gobustan and the Sheki Khans’ Palace, to hiking in the Caucasus Mountains and the ever-burning patches of Yanardag.

“We have been working on an overarching strategy that focuses on promoting domestic tourism,” said Florian Sengstschmid, CEO of Azerbaijan Tourism Board. “Straddling the border between East and West, Azerbaijan contains geographical features of both, resulting in a remarkable range of landscapes, habitats, and climate zones. Our strategy is to develop new routes and products around the country based on these features, while preserving and reinforcing all of its strengths and beauty.”

Keeping in mind the international trends, even when a sense of post-pandemic normalcy has returned, travelers will naturally choose to be in the outdoors rather than in crowded indoor places, with more interest in the countryside, small towns, villages, national parks, and reserves. “Certainly, the pandemic fueled a growing demand for nature-related, eco-friendly, and outdoor activities,” said Sengstschmid.

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