Azerbaijan’s Gabala welcomes surge in international tourists

Azerbaijan’s Gabala District Statistics Department has said that a total of 93,431 local and foreign tourists stayed in hotels and hostels in Gabala district from January to November 2024.

Some 35,620 out of 93,431 tourists were Azerbaijani citizens, accounting for 38.1 per cent, while 57,811, or 61.9 per cent, were foreigners, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

The number of local and foreign tourists in Gabala's hotels and hostels increased by 20,211 people, or 27.6 per cent compared to the same period of last year. The number of local tourists rose by 547 people, or 1.6 per cent, while the number of foreign tourists surged by 19,664, or 51.5 per cent, compared to the same period of last year.

Among the foreign tourists who visited Gabala from January to November 2024, Indian nationals once again made up the biggest group, as in previous months. A total of 25,283 citizens from India visited Gabala during these eleven months.

Moreover, 11,602 people came from Saudi Arabia, 5,594 from the United Arab Emirates, 2,740 from Kuwait, 2,537 from Pakistan, 1,134 from Georgia, 930 from Russia, 861 from Oman, 852 from Qatar, 735 from Israel, 278 from Türkiye, 237 from the UK, 243 from the US, 197 from Bahrain, 81 from Uzbekistan, 74 from Kazakhstan, and 60 from Iran. 

Furthermore, a significant number of tourists from other countries also visited Gabala during the reporting period. Throughout the eleven months, 17 out of 20 hotels and hostels in Gabala district were operational. The average price for a one-night stay was 37 manats ($21). The average length of stay for tourists was 1-2 days. During this period, a total of 942 employees worked in the tourism sector of the district.

By Naila Huseynova