Azerbaijan among most travel-worthy countries in National Geographic contest

Azerbaijan, which is turning into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, is listed among the countries for the "National Geographic Traveler Awards 2015" contest.

The competition, conducted by National Geographic Magazine, is being held to determine the best tourist destinations of 2015 by a range of popular leisure activities.

Voting commenced on June 29 and will run until October 15. Anyone can take part in the voting process on National Geographic’ website by clicking the following link: http://www.nat-geo.ru/ngt-awards-2015/nomination/

Winners of National Geographic Traveler Awards 2015 will be determined in the following categories: Beach vacations, Family holidays, Skiing, Sightseeing, “Farmhouse,” Wellness vacations, Adventure vacations, Russian tourism, "Discovery of the Year,” Culinary tourism, and Exotic travel. In addition, categories like "The best foreign airlines", "Best Russian airline", "Best hotel chain", "Best beach hotel", "Best Online Service", and "Best transfer travel" will also be judged.

Azerbaijan is featured in the following categories: “Beach vacation”, “Sightseeing vacation”, and “Culinary tourism”.

After the votes have been tallied, National Geographic Traveler magazine will award all those who have voted in every category of the competition with a 30 percent discount from the Imagebook Company for printing a photo book.

The annual "National Geographic Traveler Awards" contest determines the best travel destinations for the year and provides information on newer and less popular travel sites.

The rich historical, cultural, and natural heritage of Azerbaijan attracts visitors from all over the world.

The flow of tourists to the country is increasing every year. Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfaz Garayev recently announced that the number of tourists visiting Azerbaijan in 2014 reached 2.3 million.

Overall, tourism in the Land of Fire has doubled since 2006. Tourist expenditures in the country increased from 91 million manat in 2006 to 1.2 billion manat in 2014.

The sharp rise is in part due to the simplification of the visa regime for tourists, creating greater opportunities for the tourism sector.

Moreover, the 1st European Games held in Baku this June brought thousands of tourists to the capital alongside 6,000 athletes from all over Europe.

The number of hotels in the country has now reached 530; with 23 five star hotels, 41 four-star hotels, 12 three-star, and 3 two-star hotels.