Tourism named economic locomotive to non-oil sector

Tourism is turning into the driving force for the non-oil sector of Azerbaijan’s economy, Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfaz Garayev said at a meeting held as part of his visit to the northern Khachmaz region on October 4.

Over the past several years, big tourism infrastructure has been built and brand hotels have started to operate in the country, according to the minister.

“Today, Azerbaijan is known in the world as a country providing luxury tourism services,” Garayev said.

The minister went on to say that Khaxhmaz is among those regions of the country that enjoy the highest tourism potential.

The region has turned into the attractive tourism destination thanks to its ancient cultural monuments, national architectural samples, biodiversity, nature, cuisine as well as colorful culture of national minorities living here, he added.

The minister mentioned that this northern region is also the richest resort and recreation place in the country.

Khachmaz is very popular with its resorts and usually is crowded in pick season because thousands of tourists from all over the country and from abroad come here to take a break from working days. There are relict forests here with many ancient beeches and elms.

Khachmaz is abound with historical monuments as well. The region has a moderate, semi-desert and arid steppe climate and has a rich flora and fauna. Its area is covered with forests.

The region has a moderate, semi-desert and arid steppe climate and has a rich flora and fauna. Its area is covered with forests. The climate is temperate, thermal and mineral springs are available. There are also good opportunities for hunting and fishing there.

The well-known Shollar wa¬ter pipeline, which was put into opera¬tion in 1917 is also located there. This water pipeline has several special features, as there is no need to purify the water because there are no infectious bacteria in it.

The region is located on the border with Russia. The Niyazabad port is one of the historical parts of Khachmaz. From the 16th century, the port played an im¬portant role in the establishment of relations between Azerbaijan and neighboring countries by sea and in the expansion of trade and export of silk, crafts and dried fruits to the northern countries.

Khachmaz has been historically engaged in fruit export. Its residents export their products to the Russian market during all seasons of the year.

Currently 284 travel agencies and 535 hotels are operating in the country. The country can accommodate over 35,000 tourists in its 530 hotels, which include a series of luxury hotels, as well as many budget hotels for cost-conscious travelers. Azerbaijan hosts a series of luxury hotels – Jumeirah, Excelsior, Hilton, Four Seasons, Fairmont, JW Marriott, Kempinski – as well as many budget hotels for cost-conscious travelers.

Earlier, Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfaz Garayev said that for the past 10 years, the number of tourists visiting Azerbaijan increased by five times.

In January to June of 2016 a total of 972,000 tourists came to the country, with a large proportion falling to citizens from Russia, Iran, Turkey and Arab countries. The number of tourists to the Land of Fire has increased by 30 times this May compared to last year, according to the Culture and Tourism Ministry. Fire has increased by 30 times this May compared to last year, according to the Culture and Tourism Ministry. The majority of these foreigners are tourists from Russia, Iran, Arab, CIS and European countries .