AZE.US
Hotel prices in Azerbaijan’s regions have dropped sharply this month as rainy weather, weak seasonal demand and a limited number of official days off hit domestic tourism.
The slowdown has been especially visible outside Baku, where hotels are facing lower occupancy and are being forced to cut prices in an effort to attract guests. Business owners have already moved to offer discounts, but that has not fully offset the decline in visitor traffic.
Tourism expert Rahman Guliyev said the recent spell of unstable weather and heavy rainfall has made travel from the capital to the regions more difficult, directly affecting demand.
According to him, flooding, excess water on roads and temporary damage to transport routes have discouraged many potential travelers. He said the impact has been particularly strong in the northwestern parts of the country, including Sheki, Gakh, Zagatala and Balakan, where rainfall has been especially intense.
Guliyev noted that this period is traditionally considered part of the off-season for regional tourism. In his view, demand is likely to remain relatively weak until late May, with a more visible increase in travel expected only after around May 20-25.
He said discounts and promotional campaigns could still help hotels soften the blow, but broader recovery will depend mainly on seasonal demand returning and travel conditions improving.
Guliyev also said weather conditions are expected to remain somewhat unstable in the coming months, with periodic rainfall still possible. At the same time, he pointed to gradual improvements in road infrastructure in the affected areas.
That includes routes toward Sheki, Gakh, Zagatala, Balakan and Ismayilli. Once repair work is completed and a bridge in Ismayilli reopens, he said, major transport obstacles for regional travel should ease.
He also pointed to aviation as a longer-term factor that could reduce the tourism sector’s dependence on weather and road conditions.
Azerbaijan currently has international airports in Fuzuli, Zangilan and Lachin, as well as airports in Zagatala, Gabala and Lankaran. If regional air connections become more active, travel to the country’s regions could become easier even during periods of bad weather.