Member of Parliament Goydeniz Gahramanov has raised the issue of rising air ticket prices during a speech at Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis, highlighting their impact on the country’s tourism sector.

According to the MP, tourism has become one of Azerbaijan’s priority sectors under the leadership and support of President Ilham Aliyev. He noted that the government has been implementing a broad and consistent policy aimed at strengthening the industry and expanding tourism infrastructure across the country.

Gahramanov said that major steps have been taken not only in Baku and the regions, but also in the recently liberated territories. New tourism complexes are being built, railway infrastructure is being modernized, and three international airports have been launched in a short period of time in Karabakh and East Zangazur. At the same time, Azerbaijan’s tourism potential is being actively promoted at international exhibitions and industry platforms.

He stressed that these efforts reflect one of the country’s key strategic goals: increasing tourist arrivals and positioning Azerbaijan as a major tourism hub in the region.

In this context, Gahramanov underlined the importance of the aviation sector, noting that most international visitors arrive in Azerbaijan by air. However, the sharp rise in airfare prices in recent months has increased travel costs both for incoming tourists and for Azerbaijani citizens traveling abroad.

The MP said airlines should approach pricing policy not only from a commercial perspective, but also through the broader lens of tourism development. In his view, more affordable airfares could help attract a larger number of international visitors to Azerbaijan.

He added that such a change would benefit not only the aviation sector itself, but also the tourism industry as a whole. Higher tourist arrivals could increase revenues for hotels, guides, transport services, restaurants, and other tourism-related businesses, while also creating new jobs.