Number of Foreigners Visiting Azerbaijan Decreased by 8.4%

The State Statistics Committee published the results of statistical research on arrival of foreigners in Azerbaijan and departure from the country of citizens of Azerbaijan in 2014. According to the study, the number of foreigners visiting Azerbaijan decreased by 8.4%. This is mainly due to the deterioration of the financial situation of Russian citizens of Azerbaijani origin, who for savings postponed a trip to the historic homeland.

Last year, Azerbaijan was visited by 2 million 297.8 thousand foreigners, 211,000 less than in 2013. From the Russian Federation, Azerbaijan was visited by 843.8 thousand people, which is 60,000 less than in the previous year. From Georgia, home to 0.5 million ethnic Azerbaijanis, the number of visitors amounted to 699.5 thousand, 110.9 thousand less than in 2013.

In total, 1.6 million tourists - citizens of the Russian Federation, Georgia, Turkey and Iran - visited Azerbaijan in 2014. It is noteworthy that while in 2013 the total share of these countries in the geography of tourists amounted to 87.5% (1 862.8 thousand people), last year the figure dropped to 74% (1.6 million.). In other words, the geography of foreign tourists expanded to other states.

SSC attributed to the category of tourists 2 159.2 thousand people (+ 1.4%). Of these, 670.5 thousand (+ 3.3%) visited Azerbaijan for business purposes and so forth. For business intentions, recreation and entertainment, there were 709.9 thousand (+ 0.6%). For attending relatives and friends, there were 677.1 thousand citizens of foreign countries, which is 0.5% higher than a year earlier.

According to estimates of SSC, last year in Azerbaijan, 1 billion 281.2 million manats was spent on tourism (or 593 manat per capita, + 3 manat), which is 2.1% more than in 2013. Of these transport services were spent 43.9%, occupancy - 28.2%, food - 22.2%, etc.

In the past year 4,244.3 thousand Azerbaijani citizens visited foreign countries. The intensity of these visits decreased 1%. Expenditure on travel services totaled 1 billion 888.5 million manats, 1.4% higher than the figure for 2013. ----08B