AZE.US
Azerbaijan is entering the summer season with a troubling question for its tourism industry: why are fewer visitors coming, while prices remain so high?
Journalist Vugar Vugarli raised the issue in a video posted on social media, sharply criticizing the country’s tourism policy and arguing that it is difficult to speak about real tourism development when Azerbaijan is becoming more expensive than its neighbors.
According to Vugarli, foreign tourists often compare Azerbaijan with nearby Georgia and Armenia, where hotels of similar categories can cost significantly less.
He said that in some cases, prices in Azerbaijan are not just slightly higher, but two times or even more expensive than in neighboring countries, including for three-star, four-star and five-star hotels.
His criticism comes as official and industry data point to a weaker tourism season.
According to figures cited in local media, the total number of tourists visiting Azerbaijan in the first quarter of this year fell by about 5 percent compared with the same period last year. The decline from Asian markets was much sharper, with arrivals from the region reportedly down by about 24 percent.
This matters because Azerbaijan had relied heavily in recent years on visitors from the Middle East, Iran, India and Pakistan. These groups were highly visible in central Baku, on Nizami Street, in shopping areas, restaurants, hotels and short-term rental apartments.
That picture is now changing.
The flow of tourists from Gulf countries and Iran has weakened. Hotels in Baku and the regions are reported to be emptier, restaurants have fewer foreign customers, guides are looking for clients, and some businesses say the season has been much slower than expected.
The decline cannot be explained only by one factor. Regional tension, problems with air travel, higher insurance and transport costs, and economic difficulties in Iran have all played a role. But many industry observers argue that Azerbaijan’s internal tourism problems are just as important.
One of them is price.
Vugarli pointed to the cost of visiting attractions and museums, saying that foreign visitors are often charged far more than locals. He mentioned the Maiden Tower in Baku as an example, saying the entrance fee for foreigners is around 40 manats, or about $24.
For many tourists, that becomes part of a broader impression: expensive flights, expensive hotels, expensive attractions and a tourism product that does not always justify the price.
Azerbaijan also continues to face the problem of closed land borders. For regional tourism, this is a serious limitation. A country that could receive more visitors by road from neighboring states remains heavily dependent on air travel. That makes trips more expensive and less flexible, especially for budget travelers.
The result is that many visitors simply choose other destinations.
Georgia remains cheaper and easier for many tourists. Armenia has also become a competing regional option. Turkey continues to attract large numbers of travelers with a wider range of hotels, resorts and packages. In this environment, Azerbaijan has to compete not only with advertising, but with value.
Another problem is the uneven development of tourism infrastructure outside Baku.
Azerbaijan has the Caspian Sea, mountains, forests, historical sites and regions with strong potential. But critics say access to beaches is often limited, modern seaside infrastructure is weak in many areas, and regional tourism zones are not developed enough to keep visitors engaged for several days.
Vugarli argued that Azerbaijan has natural advantages, but is not turning them into a competitive tourism product.
There is also a social problem that the industry rarely discusses openly.
When Indian tourists became more visible in Azerbaijan, some social media users reacted with irritation and stereotypes. Later, similar comments were made about tourists from Arab countries. Now, market participants say Pakistani tourists remain among the visible groups, but this segment is generally more budget-conscious and cannot fully replace the spending power of visitors from wealthier Gulf markets.
In other words, Azerbaijan has repeatedly struggled not only to attract tourists, but also to treat different tourist groups as valuable guests rather than targets for online mockery.
That attitude can damage the country’s image. Tourism is not only about hotels, flights and museums. It is also about how welcome people feel.
Experts say Azerbaijan needs a more realistic strategy. The country cannot rely only on official promotion, glossy videos and international events. Tourists return to places where prices make sense, service is reliable, attractions are accessible and the experience feels worth the money.
Azerbaijan’s tourism potential is real. Baku is attractive, the regions have strong natural and cultural assets, and the country could position itself as a distinctive destination between Europe, the Caucasus, the Caspian and Central Asia.
But potential is not enough.
If hotels remain overpriced, land borders stay closed, regional infrastructure lags behind, attractions feel too expensive and former key markets keep shrinking, Azerbaijan will continue to lose visitors to cheaper and more convenient destinations.
For now, the warning signs are clear: fewer tourists, emptier hotels, weaker restaurant traffic and growing frustration inside the industry.
The question is whether Azerbaijan’s tourism sector will treat this as a temporary problem, or as a signal that the current model needs to change.
AZE.US