Managing Emerging Destinations: the Case of Azerbaijan

Year 2021, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 1 - 28, 09.07.2021

Osman Demiroğlu , Dieter Müller

Abstract

This study aims to explore the evolution of governance frameworks in emerging destinations. The literature signals a continuum along which the frameworks move from state-led, formal governance to public-private-partnerships, where more flexible, market-driven systems are in play. In this study, an emerging tourism country, Azerbaijan, is analyzed in terms of its tourism development and institutionalization process. For this purpose, policy documents and six expert interviews were analyzed, followed by a validation process. The results revealed that the country is on the verge of rapid transitions regarding destination governance. Tourism has been prioritized on the political agenda for the past decade, and in the period from the declaration of 2011 as “Year of Tourism” to the COVID-19 pandemic, growth was registered in both supply and demand. Concordantly, institutional transformation has been initiated by launching the national Destination Management Organization (DMO) and three other regional DMOs, with new DMOs underway.

Keywords

Emerging Destinations, Tourism Development, Destination Governance, Destination Management Organization, Azerbaijan

Supporting Institution

The Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation

Project Number

2018-AZETOURI-545

Thanks

This study is part of the “Destination Management Organization: Conceptual Framework for Azerbaijan, Cameroon and Iran” project (2018-AZETOURI-545) funded by The Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC).

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