The devastating earthquake in Türkiye forced the citizens of Azerbaijan, who were planning a vacation in this country, to reconsider their plans. Tourists who booked tour packages to Türkiye for the summer months are in no hurry to complete their payment, head of one of the travel companies Aziz Shiriyev told Report.
He noted that when booking early, vacationers make a certain prepayment, and the rest of the amount is paid in installments, or immediately before the trip, depending on the agreement between the travel company and the client: “The earthquake led to a reduction in trips to Türkiye both from Azerbaijan and from other countries. The issue of refusal from tour packages in Azerbaijan is currently not relevant. The wait-and-see attitude of customers is connected with the forecasts of seismologists that a repetition of the earthquake is possible in Türkiye.”
Shiriyev noted that in connection with the current situation, interest in domestic tours has increased.
He added that as a rule, during the Novruz holiday, Azerbaijanis prefer to visit Dubai, European countries and Egypt.
The head of the company also noted that after the earthquake, the prices for tours to Türkiye decreased: "The cost of 3-4-day tours to Türkiye fell from $565 to $500."
Ahmad Gurbanov, head of the Azerbaijan Tourism Association, told Report that after the earthquake in February, rumors spread about an immense drop in travel to Türkiye: "Even if a certain part of the citizens refuse to book, there are still people who want to visit this country."
He noted that tourists prefer Egypt, Montenegro and European countries as an alternative destination.
Samir Dubandi, executive director of the Azerbaijan Ecotourism Association, told Report that the earthquake in Türkiye clearly influenced the choice of tourists: “The tourism sector is sensitive to any economic, political, social, including natural shocks. At the heart of the choice of certain tourist routes by a potential tourist are complex psychological processes of perception and human needs. An earthquake is an event that causes anxiety and excitement among people, a huge tragedy has occurred before our eyes.”
Dubandi noted that customers return previously purchased tours and air tickets to Türkiye, but this is not of a mass nature: “Currently, there is a revival in the domestic tourism market, since new large hotel complexes have been put into operation in the regions, and new complexes are expected to open. That is supply in the domestic market is growing. Citizens who have the opportunity and desire also visit several popular foreign destinations. These are Türkiye, Russia, the UAE, Egypt, countries of Western and Eastern Europe.”