Azerbaijan needs to take a hard look at why visitor numbers are slipping, a senior lawmaker said on Monday as parliament continued its debate on the 2026 state budget.
Speaking at the Milli Majlis plenary session, MP Gudrat Hasanguliyev warned that despite heavy public spending on international events, tourism performance remains weak.
“Next year, the government plans to allocate 239 million manat for international events – ten million more than for science,” he said. “But the effectiveness of many of these events is questionable.”
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According to official data, Azerbaijan welcomed 2,171,000 tourists in the first ten months of 2025 – 1.7 percent fewer than during the same period last year.
The decline looks even sharper when compared to neighboring Georgia, which recorded 4.3 million visitors over the same timeframe — more than twice Azerbaijan’s total.
“This contrast must be examined seriously,” Hasanguliyev stressed.
High costs and visa barriers
The lawmaker argued that Azerbaijan should prioritize visa-free entry for citizens of the United States, EU member states, and Iran – three key markets with strong outbound tourism potential.
He also highlighted mounting complaints about the cost of traveling in Azerbaijan:
• Airfare remains expensive, even for regional routes.
• Restaurant prices and hotel rates are often higher than in comparator destinations.
• A shortage of affordable accommodation is directly impacting tourism competitiveness.
“These factors discourage people from choosing Azerbaijan when they compare prices across the region,” he said. “If we want a stronger tourism sector, we must first understand why visitors hesitate to come here.”
