Baku: A proposal to abolish the visa regime for citizens of the United States, Iran, and European countries has been put forward in an effort to develop tourism in Azerbaijan. This suggestion was made during a meeting of the Milli Majlis, Azerbaijan’s Parliament, by Gudrat Hasanguliyev, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense, Security, and Counter-Corruption.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the call for a visa-free regime comes amidst a reported decrease in the number of tourists visiting Azerbaijan this year, which fell by 1.7% compared to the previous year. Specifically, there was a 21.7% drop in tourists from Europe and a 10% decline in visitors from Central Europe. In contrast, neighboring Georgia experienced a 6.6% increase in tourist numbers compared to the same period last year, receiving 4,307,000 tourists, significantly more than the 2,171,000 tourists who visited Azerbaijan.

Gudrat Hasanguliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan needs to investigate the reasons behind tourists’ reluctance to visit the country. He pointed out that high costs are a significant factor, noting that air tickets and prices in public catering facilities are considerably high, and affordable accommodation options are lacking. He suggested that addressing these issues, along with implementing a visa-free regime, could positively impact the number of tourists visiting Azerbaijan.