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Health Tourism Conference in Azerbaijan’s Shusha Examines Fresh Opportunities.


Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan’s State Tourism Agency has hosted a conference in Shusha titled “Health Tourism in Azerbaijan: Development Opportunities,” Trend reports. Participants included representatives from the State Tourism Agency, the special representative offices of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Health, and around 200 experts in healthcare and medical tourism from Azerbaijan and several foreign countries.

According to Trend News Agency, the conference featured panel sessions on topics such as “Health Tourism in Azerbaijan: Current Status and Opportunities,” “Global and Successful Experience in Health Tourism: Proposals for Azerbaijan,” and “Medical Tourism in Azerbaijan: A Look into the Future and Strategy.” Chairman of the State Tourism Agency, Fuad Nagiyev, revealed plans to establish a comprehensive mechanism for the value chain of Naftalan oil, covering everything from processing to consumption. He underscored Azerbaijan’s con
siderable potential in the wellness tourism sector.

Nagiyev highlighted the historical significance and international recognition of natural therapeutic resources like Naftalan healing oil, the salt mountain in Nakhchivan, and Istisu in Kalbajar. He noted that districts such as Absheron, Shabran, Gabala, Lankaran, and Sheki continue to operate as wellness tourism destinations, attracting both local and foreign tourists. Significant efforts have been made in recent years to advance wellness tourism, which remains a priority for the country’s leadership. The “Strategic Roadmap for the Development of the Specialized Tourism Industry in the Republic of Azerbaijan,” approved by President Ilham Aliyev, emphasizes wellness tourism.

Nagiyev also reported on the involvement of Turkish specialists in exploring tourism opportunities in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur. The State Tourism Agency has assessed wellness tourism resources and prepared a report titled “Wellness Tourism in Azerbaijan: Current Status and Developm
ent Prospects.” A working group has been established to facilitate the sector’s growth, including representatives from various state and private entities, as well as public organizations.

Advancing Naftalan oil as a tourist attraction and promoting it in European and emerging markets are key priorities, according to Nagiyev. He mentioned that Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur feature regions with considerable potential for wellness tourism. Recent studies, conducted in collaboration with Turkish experts, have produced valuable recommendations for these areas. Kalbajar’s unique balneological potential is significant, with two of the five proposed tourist and recreational zones dedicated to wellness tourism, while the remaining zones focus on mineral and thermal springs. He also emphasized that Lachin is abundant in mineral thermal resources.