Azerbaijan among Top 10 adventure tourism destinations

By Azernews

By Rasana Gasimova

Azerbaijan has entered the top 10 highest potential adventure travel destinations for the 2020s.

This is according to a rating of countries that must be visited in 2020 for lovers of independent and active travel compiled by the British Backpacker Society, local media reported.

“Azerbaijan, a country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia on the shores of the Caspian Sea, is a treasure-trove for travelers. With spectacular mountains in the north, curious mud volcanoes in the south, fascinating cultures in the west and the Caucasus’ most exciting city, Baku, in the east, Azerbaijan is a country that offers visitors diverse experiences at every corner,” the report reads.

As a top adventure travel experience, the Society offers a journey to the rural mountain villages of northern Azerbaijan, noting that it is probably the country’s most exciting adventure travel experience, having received repeated praise from British Backpacker Society members over the last few years.

According to the report, the real cultural and scenic treats of the region lie in the misty mountains behind the ski slopes, where intrepid visitors can gain a glimpse into rural Azerbaijani life in villages such as Laza village in Gusar region.

Noting Azerbaijan’s huge tourism potential for the 2020s, the Society added that the core of Azerbaijan’s appeal to travelers is its position at the cultural crossroads of Europe and Asia, and, fittingly, the future of the country’s tourism industry will be driven by visitor flows from both such continents.

The report also noted that the growth of the Azerbaijani tourism industry appears limitless in the next decade.

Along with Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Russia, Bosnia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan were also included in the ranking.

Earlier this year, the Regional Development Public Union of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation has initiated a new project to develop adventure tourism in Azerbaijan.

As part of the “Inch by inch around the country” project supported by the Azerbaijani Youth Foundation, it is planned to locate guide signs and information boards across territories with adventure tourism potential to help identify new routes in regions favorable for this type of tourism, and ensure the safe movement of tourists.

As part of this project launched in Ismayilli region, guide signs and information boards were located along the routes of "Buzkhana" and “Girkhotag Legends " monuments.

It is planned to implement the project in Azerbaijan’s other regions as well. New routes are currently being explored in adventure tourism-friendly regions.