"During the USSR, Karabakh was one of the best venues in the union in terms of recreation and medical tourism," Mahammad Muradov, head of the tourism policy and strategy department of the State Tourism Agency (DTA) told Report.
He also disclosed the number of tourists who visited Karabakh before the occupation: “It is obvious that in 1987, compared to different regions of the USSR, the tourism potential of the region was clearly distinguished. That year alone, 250,000 tourists visited the region. Over 50,000 of them were foreign tourists. However, during the occupation, the region's tourism infrastructure was destroyed and an area of the region that could create added value already disappeared from the Azerbaijani economy. In general, as a result of the aggressive policy in the region, the country's economy has significantly suffered. Let me just note that in 1988, there were 16 hotels with 891 beds in the region. However, during the war or as a result of the war, a significant part of this infrastructure was already destroyed or was significantly damaged."