Why do citizens of Azerbaijan prefer to go to other countries ignoring local tourist bases?

It is summer time, season of holidays and vacations.

Of course, Azerbaijan has enormous tourist potential, but unfortunately, despite the fact that tourism is one of the priority areas for development of non-oil sector, this potential is not always used properly.

Citizens of Azerbaijan, who decided to spend their holiday in full, continue to prefer to take a rest in other countries, especially in Turkey. One of the main reasons for this, many believe, are generally inflated prices on resort in our country.

To understand this situation, Day.Az decided to hold a comparative analysis of prices of several hostels and hotels in Azerbaijan with the prices of resorts in Turkey. And that's what we have found ...

It should be noted at once that as a result of the study, the picture of prices on tourism services in Azerbaijan was not so bright. But let's speak from the beginning.

I think everyone is aware of the beauty of Azerbaijani nature. Our beautiful country has, for example, sports and health resorts. We will not give the name of the complex in order not to make advertising.

A four-storied three-star hotel, as stated on the official website of the facility, is located at an altitude of 1100 meters above the sea level. The hotel is surrounded on all sides by high mountains covered with dense forest.

We called the Baku representation of the complex, and we were told that a normal double room at the hotel is 70 manats a day. This price includes only a breakfast along with the room itself. A luxury double room costs 105 manats. A double room in a hotel by the all inclusive system will cost 222 manats and 1554 manats per week for two tourists. The amount is very significant.

For comparison, let's take a three-star hotel in Turkey. The hotel is located in Kemer. The cost of a week-long holiday by all inclusive system (along with airline tickets), according to several well-known tourism companies of Baku is only manats 1350 (!). The service, according to the tourists, who express their thoughts on many websites, is wonderful. It turns out that the rest at the Kemer hotel together with the flights is cheaper than in the aforementioned complex.

Many of us have been in Baku aqua parks. But I'm sure, not everyone stayed in the hotels of these aqua parks. Prices at the hotel of one of the aqua parks are just sky-high. For example, an exclusive double room is 300 manat, which is 2100 manats per week. And food is not inclusive. As we know the price on food in the aquapark, it is not difficult to assume that a one-week vacation in the Baku aqua park, along with food costs, would be, at least, 2500 manats.

Staying in one of the most famous hotels-aqua parks of Turkey, under the all inclusive system will take 1900 manats to two tourists. This also includes flights.

Here are a couple of examples that clearly characterize the expensiveness of the tourism facilities in Azerbaijan.

Staying in a five-star hotel, located in one of the cities of Azerbaijan (not Baku), would cost two tourists 560 manats per week. It will cost some 850 manat with food inclusive.

Two potential tourists will have to pay AZN 700 per week for a resort in the north of Azerbaijan.

By the way, Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfas Garayev has recently said that Azerbaijan is not expected to significantly reduce tariffs on tourist facilities. The Minister believes that if the population continues to relax even with the current operating rates, it is difficult to speak of the significant decline in prices. According to A. Garayev, prices in the hotel facilities of Azerbaijan are regulated by market rules not the government.

We can state with confidence that tourism is an area of life, which is always in demand. After all, people traveled many centuries ago and are willing to travel and have a rest today. That is why, if Azerbaijan wants to develop tourism at the proper level, if we want Azerbaijanians to have a rest at local tourism areas, not abroad, prices in the resort places should be significantly reduced, and the services should be improved.

Prices, which have been set in the tourism bases, hotels and other tourist facilities, are unreasonably high, and quality of services is irrelevant to the requested price. Somehow, unfortunately, the tourists are viewed as sacks of money that can pay any price.

We are pleased to see how actively the tourism infrastructure in the regions is developing along with construction of complexes and laying roads. Everyone has a chance to choose premium, medium or cost-saving hotels.

But the Ministry of Culture and Tourism interested in the development of tourist potential of Azerbaijan should explain to our tourism managers that if the rates for tourist services in the country do not fall and at least match their foreign counterparts, the citizens of Azerbaijan and foreign tourists will have no reason to visit the local tourist facilities and a great deal of financial flows will bypass our country.

/Day.Az/