BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. In 2024, the total number of visitors to the reserves and cultural institutions under the management of the Reserve Management Center, which operates under the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan, amounted to 663,459, with 460,331 of them being foreign nationals, Murad Aghabeyli, the Chairman of the Reserve Management Center, said at a press briefing, Trend reports.
Aghabeyli stated that approximately 70 percent of all visitors were foreign nationals, showing a 48 percent increase in comparison to 2023.
He also mentioned that groups entitled to free admission, including schoolchildren, people with disabilities, war veterans, families of martyrs, and foreign visitors under the age of twelve, made up a significant portion of the total visitors. Specifically, 107,213 individuals took advantage of this free entry opportunity in 2024.
Looking ahead, during the first quarter of 2025, a total of 30,430 local residents and 123,761 foreign tourists visited the reserves and cultural institutions operated by the center, including key sites such as the Yanardag State Historical, Cultural, and Natural Reserve, the Ateshgah Temple State Historical and Architectural Reserve, the Yukhari Bash National Historical and Architectural Reserve, the Sheki State Art Gallery, the Kish Historical and Architectural Reserve, the Basgal State Historical and Cultural Reserve, the Lahij Museum of History and Local Lore, the Diri Baba Mausoleum, and the Mud Volcano Tourism Complex.
Compared to the same period in 2024, the overall number of visitors increased by 73 percent, with foreign visitor numbers growing by 99 percent.
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