Tourism Last Year

Travel costs of Azerbaijanis abroad over the past six years increased by 8 times.

According to the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, in the past year, residents of Azerbaijan abroad have been provided tourism services in the amount of $ 3 billion, which is over 4% more than in 2013. At the same time 67.4% or 2.02 billion was spent in private foreign travel.

Last year, foreign tourists spent in Azerbaijan, as well as last year, $ 2.43 billion, of which 36.6% were expenses incurred during business travel to Azerbaijan. As a result, the negative balance of travel services reached a little less than half a billion dollars.

The country is implementing a state program for the development of tourism, covering the years 2008-2016. The government spends millions of dollars on advertising the country and the development of tourism infrastructure, while the citizens prefer to vacation abroad. The main flow of local tourists goes to Turkey. The following places are occupied by Russia, Georgia, Ukraine (the Crimean peninsula), and the UAE (Dubai).

Compatriots often go on holiday abroad because of the high cost of travel services at home. So within the normal cost a seven-day holiday for one person in Azerbaijan can be more than one thousand manat due to the devaluation of the manat. In Turkey, for the same price within 7 days in Antalya one is offered a European level of service, all inclusive (flights, transfer to hotel, meals). Another disincentive is the low level of service. This is most encountered outside of Baku.

For the development of tourism in Azerbaijan, according to market participants, you must use incentive policies that included the abolition of VAT for tourist centers and recreation areas in the region for 5 years. Due to the seasonal nature of tourism services in the regions it is considered appropriate to reduce the income tax for regular employees working in travel agencies, hotels and recreation centers. Also proposed is exemption from customs duties and taxes for most of the equipment used for tourism purposes.

But the most important is that tourist industry workers are dreaming to get rid of inappropriate extortion by various government agencies.

Tourism is one of the most profitable and dynamic sectors of the world economy. In many countries, tourism is the main source of foreign exchange earnings. Travel and leisure account for 2/3 of tourist trips. In developed countries, more than 70% of the tour falls on travel within the country. --17D-