By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan's tourism industry is rebounding from the devastating effects of the pandemic. The country took decisive steps in this direction.

The opening of air borders with several countries led to a certain influx of tourists.

About 790,062 tourists visited Azerbaijan last year. Over 97,700 of them visited the country in December, which is 2.5 times more than in December 2020.

The State Tourism Agency carries out a number of measures aimed at promoting the country's tourism.

Particular attention is paid to new tourist and recreational zones in Azerbaijan.

The model Regulation on Tourist and Recreational Zones came into force on January 1, 2022.

A document will be prepared for projects of tourist and recreational facilities with a capacity of over 300 people in accordance with the law on Environmental Impact Assessment.

Moreover, a new bill "On tourism" provides for the mandatory assignment of a star category to accommodation facilities belonging to the category of "hotels", the certification of tourist guides, the creation of tourist associations, recreational areas, tourist assistance centers and other issues. 

In recent years, tourism infrastructure and services that meet international standards have been created in Azerbaijan.

Also, the number of hotels in Azerbaijan with a star rating has reached 21. Currently, 14 hotels in the country have five "stars", six hotels - four, and one hotel - three "stars".

Under the amended law "On tourism", hotels operating without establishing a star rating will be fined.

Thus, every hotel functioning in Azerbaijan must be rated with stars within six months from the start of work.

The year 2022 is expected to be successful for the tourism industry. The air borders with other countries might open this year which can increase the tourist flow. 

Moreover, some projects in the tourism area are being implemented in Azerbaijan's liberated lands and this means that foreign tourists will be able to visit the Karabakh region by plane.