At an international conference on green tourism in CICA countries held in Baku last week, State Tourism Agency chairman Fuad Naghiyev offered a formulation that is both true and convenient: "Today, success in tourism is no longer measured only by the number of tourists visiting the country. Currently, the criteria for assessing success in tourism are changing."

This statement is indeed accurate, at least to a degree, as it correctly describes the change in approach to assessing the sustainability of destination management from the sheer numbers of visitors to their impact on the environment, benefits to the local population, preservation of cultural heritage, and quality of experience. The statement is convenient as it moves the goalposts at a time when Azerbaijan is trying to reach the old ones. President Ilham Aliyev noted back in April this year that reaching 5-6 million tourists "seems completely realistic." Both statements are equally valid, and this paradox needs to be explored.

When we look at the baseline of tourism in Azerbaijan, we see that the numbers are below the 2019 pre-pandemic period. It is yet to exceed the numbers. According to the survey responses gathered from the author's thesis, 31 foreign tourists and 40 Azerbaijani nationals, Azerbaijan’s tourism brand remains only slightly recognisable on the global stage. More than half of international respondents (51.6%) said they found the brand only mildly recognisable, while only 16.1% considered it highly recognisable. Tourism contributes 4.5% to the country's GDP, compared to 7–8% for Georgia, which competes for the same markets.

The three main objectives set by........

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