Baku, August 30 – Azerbaijan’s tourism sector has turned a corner. Once slowed by pandemic losses and regional turbulence, it is now emerging not only as a recovering industry but as a powerful driver of economic resilience. Officials say the country could easily handle two to three times more visitors than it currently welcomes — and the numbers show why.
Tourist Arrivals: A Steady Surge
From January to November 2024, Azerbaijan welcomed 2.4 million foreign visitors, up 27% year-on-year. For the full year, arrivals totaled 2.63 million, a 25.9% rise compared to 2023.
That growth translates into dollars. International visitors spent an estimated ₼3.4 billion (≈ $2.0 billion USD) in 2024. Domestic travelers contributed nearly the same: ₼3.5 billion (≈ $2.06 billion USD).
Tourism’s Contribution to the Economy
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that in 2024, Azerbaijan’s tourism industry added ₼7.8 billion (≈ $4.6 billion USD) to national GDP, supporting 423,700 jobs.
By 2035, projections suggest those numbers could nearly double — with tourism contributing ₼17 billion (≈ $10 billion USD) to GDP and creating almost 670,000 jobs.
Infrastructure: Ready for Triple the Visitors
Growth is being matched by capacity.
Heydar Aliyev International Airport hit a record 7.54 million passengers in 2024, a 31% increase over the previous year.
The country now has 757 hotels and resorts, alongside an expanding network of agencies and tour operators.
Arrivals are diversifying: European visitors rose 34.9%, Gulf arrivals 21.4%, and travelers from the CIS 18.8% in 2024.
One standout market is India: in 2024, around 243,000 Indian tourists visited Azerbaijan, spending on average ₼2,170 (≈ $1,280 USD) each — bringing in roughly $310 million USD in total revenue.
Symbol of Recovery and Return
This is more than economics. For Azerbaijan, every new train to Karabakh, every hotel opening in Baku, every uptick in arrivals is part of a broader story: return, rebuilding, and renewal after decades of displacement and conflict.
As Kanan Guluzade of the State Tourism Agency put it: “Azerbaijan’s tourism industry can host two, even three times more tourists. Our hotels, travel agencies, and services are ready.”
That readiness speaks to a larger national mood: confidence that Azerbaijan is no longer just a destination recovering from crisis, but a country positioning itself as a crossroads of East and West, able to compete for global travelers on quality and capacity.
