Azerbaijan's tourism should shift from a capital-centered model to the regions, Rolande Pryce, the World Bank Regional Director for the South Caucasus, said at the presentation ceremony of the "Azerbaijan Country Economic Memorandum – Spring 2026" report held in Baku, APA-Economics reports.
She stated that Azerbaijan's rich cultural heritage, diverse nature, strong international transport links, and strategic location between Europe and Asia create significant advantages for the development of tourism.
Rolande Pryce noted that although the tourism sector has developed rapidly over the past decade and accounts for a significant share of service exports, the country still falls short of its existing potential in terms of tourist arrivals, employment, and contribution to regional economic development.
According to her, the World Bank's report emphasizes the importance of transitioning from a capital- and event-oriented model to a more diversified tourism ecosystem for the next stage of tourism development. This approach will enable more efficient use of the tourism potential of the regions.
The regional director stated that achieving this requires strengthening the management of tourism destinations, improving transport accessibility in the regions, expanding accommodation and tourism services, supporting local entrepreneurship, increasing investment in skills development, as well as further improving air connectivity and access to international markets.
Rolande Pryce stressed that tourism is not only about attracting tourists, but also about creating new opportunities for local businesses, promoting investment, increasing employment, especially for women and young people, and ensuring that the benefits of economic growth are spread across all regions of the country.
She added that the Government of Azerbaijan has identified tourism as a strategic priority. The key task now is to turn plans into investment projects, strengthen cooperation between the public and private sectors, and enhance the competitiveness of the regions in the international tourism market.
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