BAKU — Azerbaijan is seeing sustained growth in domestic travel and a steady inflow of foreign visitors, even as geopolitics weighs on key source markets, a senior tourism official said.
Kanan Guluzáde, adviser to the chairman of the State Tourism Agency and acting chief of staff, said 23 million domestic trips were recorded last year and the figure is expected to reach 25 million this year. Roughly 40% of all trips fall in the June–August peak.
Through the first seven months, 1.478 million foreign tourists visited Azerbaijan; with August included, officials expect the tally to exceed 1.7 million. Guluzáde noted a 1–2% year-over-year softening in inbound totals, citing fewer visitors from Russia and India and travel disruptions linked to Middle East conflicts. He said flows from Central Asia and Western/Eastern Europe are helping stabilize overall numbers.
By the numbers
Domestic trips: 23M (last year) → 25M expected (this year)
Peak season: 40% of trips in June–August
Foreign visitors YTD (7 months): 1.478M → 1.7M+ expected with August
YoY change in inbound: –1–2%, due mainly to Russia/India declines
