Azerbaijan improves position in WEF Travel and Tourism Development Index

Azerbaijan has managed to improve seven spots in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) latest Travel and Tourism Development Index, securing the 56th position among 119 countries, the State Tourism Agency told News.Az.

It was highlighted that Azerbaijan has made significant progress, ranking second among CIS countries across four key components.

The report, based on data from the end of 2023, indicated growth in indicators across various areas, including business environment, safety, health, hygiene, human resources, and labor market, under the "availability of appropriate environment" component. Additionally, improvements were noted in international openness, price competitiveness under "travel and tourism policy and enabling conditions," cultural resources under "factors affecting demand for travel and tourism," and environmental sustainability and socio-economic sustainability under the “sustainability of travel and tourism” component.

Azerbaijan maintained its top ranking in the regular transmission of travel and tourism statistics to international databases as of 2021.

Furthermore, according to the Global Terrorism Index, Azerbaijan advanced 34 positions from the previous report, securing the top spot as the safest country. Progress was also noted in inbound tourism across various factors, including seasonality, data coverage, natural heritage sites, digital payment coverage, and 3G mobile network coverage.

However, the report also highlights areas for improvement in Azerbaijan's tourism sector, such as increasing the number of short-term rental accommodations, boosting capital investments in travel and tourism, expanding bilateral agreements on air transportation services, and ratifying treaties related to biodiversity, protected natural areas, and environmental conservation.

News.Az