In recent years, Gulf and other Arab countries have been one of the main target markets for Azerbaijani tourism. Thus, especially in the summer months, tourists from these countries have had a significant share in the country's tourism sector in terms of both number and spending volume. However, official statistics released in recent months show a decrease in the number of tourists coming to Azerbaijan from Arab countries.
According to him, before the war, the flow of tourists from Gulf countries to Azerbaijan was quite high:
“Recently, there has been a decrease in the number of tourists coming to Azerbaijan from Gulf countries. This can be evaluated as a result of the geopolitical situation happening all over the world. If we look at the period before the war around the Strait of Hormuz, we will see that there was a massive influx of tourists to Azerbaijan from that direction. Especially many tourists came to our country from Oman, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.”
The expert also emphasized that the armed conflict in the region has also seriously affected air transport:
“Currently, the armed conflict and artillery battles in that region have created restrictions in the airspace of Gulf countries. As a result of the full or partial closure of airspaces, there is also a decrease in the number of tourists coming to Azerbaijan from those countries.”
R. Guliyev noted that the current situation also affects flights from Asian countries to Azerbaijan:
“Most of the flights from Asian countries to Azerbaijan passed through the airspace of Gulf countries. Currently, due to the limited operation of those airspaces, planes are forced to fly longer routes. This increases the flight distance, raises the costs of airlines, and consequently affects the price of air tickets.”
The tourism expert believes that another important factor affecting the decrease in tourist flow is the impact of the war on the economic situation of the countries in the region:
“As a result of the problems created by the war, the economic situation of those countries has worsened, and the social welfare of people has decreased. This reduces their travel opportunities and tourism potential. All these factors together lead to a decrease in the number of tourists coming to Azerbaijan from Gulf countries,” R. Guliyev noted.
In January-June 2026, the number of arrivals from Saudi Arabia to Azerbaijan was approximately 19.7 thousand people, accounting for 1.8 percent of total arrivals. In the same period of 2025, this figure was approximately 39 thousand people, accounting for 3.2 percent of total tourists. Thus, within one year, the number of tourists coming to Azerbaijan from Saudi Arabia decreased by approximately 19.3 thousand people, or 49.5 percent.
