Islamic-oriented recreation: OIC countries to support tourism in Karabakh Analysis by Caliber.Az

Azerbaijan is one of the countries in the region that has made steady progress in the post-pandemic recovery of tourism. The industry's growth dynamics are significantly higher than the global average, and by the start of the summer season, our country had good statistics on tourist activity. The leading driver of domestic inbound tourism has been travellers from Türkiye, Iran, Arab and a number of other Muslim countries for more than a year, accounting for more than half of the total external flow. The prospects for the development of the "Islamic" trend and the promotion of the industry in the Karabakh region were discussed during the 11th session of the tourism ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries, which started in Baku yesterday [on June 28].

Despite the negative forecasts of the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) regarding the achievement of the global tourist flow to the figures of three years ago, which will be possible only by 2025, UNWTO experts state that in a number of regions of the world the industry dynamics are many times higher than the global average. Despite the fuel crisis, the war in Ukraine, anti-Russian sanctions, ongoing outbreaks of coronavirus and quarantine restrictions still in place in China, there has been steady growth in the recreational sphere in a number of regions of the world. North America, Türkiye, and the countries of North Africa are among the leaders of the post-pandemic revival of the tourism industry, and Georgia and Azerbaijan demonstrate good indicators in the incoming direction in the post-Soviet space.

According to the data of the State Tourism Agency (STA), about 500,000 foreign citizens visited Azerbaijan in January-May 2022, which indicates an almost threefold increase compared to the figures of five months last year. By the beginning of summer, Azerbaijan had restored air links with 92 countries in the world, and the five countries from which the largest number of guests arrived in our country included Russia, Türkiye, Iran, Georgia, as well as the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, a noticeable increase in the tourist flow was provided by the states of Central and South Asia.

"The number of foreigners who visited Azerbaijan in the first five months of 2022 increased by 180 per cent compared to the same period last year. We look forward to a rapid recovery of the tourism industry and an increase in the tourist flow in the coming months," said STA head Fuad Naghiyev, who took part in the 11th session of the OIC tourism ministers in Baku. He noted that during the forum the question was discussed in which direction the tourism sector should be promoted to overcome the crisis processes as soon as possible, as well as to what extent joint projects with the OIC countries will help compensate for industry losses from the pandemic.

According to Naghiyev, the number of foreign tourists coming to Azerbaijan after the pandemic continues to grow, and about 55 per cent of foreign visitors come from Islamic countries. "The majority of tourists visiting the country in the summer months are represented by citizens of Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, India, Pakistan, and Israel, and this is due to an increase in the number of flights with these countries," the STA head added. He stressed that the efforts to turn Azerbaijan into one of the best regional tourist destinations will continue and this autumn the STA plans to direct its efforts to conduct an active marketing campaign to attract tourists from European countries to the country.

This year Azerbaijan assumed the function of chairing the 11th session of the OIC tourism ministers, which was attended by tourism ministers, heads of tourism organisations and associations, diplomats and other officials, and 160 representatives of relevant structures from 39 countries of the world. The forum heard reports on the development of tourism in the post-pandemic period, the date and venue of the next conference were determined, candidates for the OIC "Tourist City" award in 2023-2024 were identified, and following the session, a draft final resolution and the Baku Declaration were adopted.

Noting the significance of the event held in Baku, OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha stressed that the ministerial meeting in Azerbaijan contributes to the expansion of the Islamic countries' tourism potential. The secretary-general was familiarised with the tourist opportunities of the Azerbaijani lands liberated from occupation, as well as with the construction carried out in the Karabakh region after the victory. During the meeting with the OIC secretary-general, the STA head recalled that during the occupation Armenia subjected Azerbaijani lands to unprecedented devastation, nevertheless, the visit of the OIC conference participants to Shusha scheduled for June 29 will allow them to get acquainted with the process of restoring the Karabakh region.

It is appropriate to recall that since last year Azerbaijan has accelerated the work on the formation of aviation infrastructure in the Karabakh region, without which a mass reception of foreign tourists is simply impossible. In October last year, Fuzuli International Airport was put into operation, and by the end of this year it is expected to complete the construction of an air station in Zangilan, preparatory work has also been accelerated to build an international airport in Lachin as soon as possible.

As a result of numerous presentations and promotion campaigns, a considerable number of domestic and foreign companies show interest in the development of thermal, mountain (mountaineering), winter, hunting, agricultural and "green" tourism in the liberated lands. The first steps in this direction are already being taken: The ceremony to lay the foundation of the mineral spring and the Istisu sanatorium in the Kalbajar region recently took place with the participation of the head of state. The most extensive work on the restoration of tourist infrastructure, and the construction of hotels and guest houses are being carried out in Shusha, declared the cultural capital of the Turkic world. Shusha will probably become the first city in the region, where the formation of the appropriate infrastructure and primary tourist potential will be completed in 2023, which will create prerequisites for the reception of tourists next year.

As other liberated areas are cleared of mines and roads, energy and utility infrastructure is being formed here, and work on the development of recreational potential will also begin. For the same purposes, a strategy for the development of regional tourism in Karabakh is being developed, the task of which is to transform the region into a new tourist destination. These initiatives cover natural landscapes, historical monuments - the heritage of the Karabakh Khanate, the "Silk Road", covering Hadrut, Fuzuli, Khojavand, Aghdam, Sugovushan, etc. In turn, the STA has prepared projects within the framework of the "Victory Routes" concept, including "YolumuzAğdama", "YolumuzFüzuliyə" and "YolumuzXocavəndə", etc. It is expected that many of these projects will be implemented in the coming years, at least according to the estimates of the STA, about 1 million local and foreign tourists can visit the liberated territories by 2025.

The efforts made to revive the Karabakh region and turn it into a leading tourist destination for Azerbaijan are fully welcomed by the OIC member countries. Such interest is manifested both in terms of new opportunities for expanding the tourist flow from Islamic countries, and in terms of future investment cooperation – investments in hotel and resort business in the Karabakh and East ZangAzur economic regions."The accelerated reconstruction and construction work in liberated lands is highly appreciated by Muslim countries, and this will undoubtedly have a positive impact on Azerbaijan's economy and tourism potential," said Assistant Secretary-General of the OIC for Economic Affairs Ahmed Kavrsa Sengendo and a participant in the Baku forum. The OIC representative expressed hope that the destroyed mosques and historical and cultural monuments will be restored soon, which will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the region's activation of international tourism.