Azerbaijan, Baku, April 15 / Trend I. Isabalaeva /
The Eurovision contest, World Cup Soccer among girls under-17 and other international events held in Azerbaijan last year had a positive impact on the number of tourists visiting Azerbaijan.
Last year, the number people visiting hotels and hotel-type complexes in Azerbaijan increased by 22.5 per cent compared to 2011 and amounted to 624,900 guests, the State Statistics Committee reported on Monday. The number of foreigners among them increased by 44.2 per cent, comprising 59.5 per cent of the total number of hotel customers
The number of voucher tourists amounted to 48,600 representing 7.8 per cent of the total number of hotel customers. The number of overnight stays also increased Compared to previous year which had about 1.641 million (9.1 per cent), 48.9 per cent were foreign tourists.
At least 57.3 per cent of the total number of overnight stays was registered in Baku, with the remainder in other regions of the country.
During 2012 the country's services supported 514 hotels and hotel-type facilities rendering services in the country in 2012. Of that number, 5.3 per cent of them were public and 94.7 per cent private enterprises.
In 2012, the occupancy rate of hotels and hotel-type facilities was 13.7 per cent. In Baku city, as well as in Nakhchivan, Khachmaz, Lerik, Gabala, Masallin, Gusar, Shamakhy and Sheki regions, this figure was higher compared to other cities, towns and regions of the country.
Most of those who used the services of temporary accommodation in hotels and hotel-type facilities (83.4 per cent), arrived in Azerbaijan for tourism purposes, 43.3 per cent for recreation and entertainment and 47.5 per cent with a business visa.
Of the citizens of Azerbaijan traveling outside for tourism purposes, 33.4 per cent were residents of Baku.
The incomes of hotels and hotel-type complexes increased by 34.3 per cent compared to 2011 and reached 154 million manat.