Alternatif Turizm Olanakları: Azerbaycan’da İş Turizmi Potansiyelinin Analizi

Abstract

Küreselleşen dünyada turizm sektörü, ülkelerin ekonomik kalkınmasında stratejik bir rol üstlenirken, geleneksel tatil turizminin ötesine geçen alternatif turizm türleri giderek daha fazla önem kazanmaktadır. Bu alternatifler arasında iş turizmi, yüksek gelir potansiyeli ve destinasyon imajına sağladığı olumlu katkılarla öne çıkarak ülkelere önemli bir rekabet avantajı sunmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, gelişmekte olan destinasyonların iş turizmi potansiyellerini doğru bir şekilde analiz etmeleri ve buna yönelik stratejik adımlar atmaları kritik bir gereklilik haline gelmiştir. Bu çalışmanın temel amacı, Azerbaycan’ın yükselen alternatif turizm türlerinden biri olan iş turizmi alanındaki potansiyelini kapsamlı bir biçimde analiz etmek ve sürdürülebilir gelişimine yönelik stratejik öneriler geliştirmektir. Araştırmada nitel yöntem benimsenmiş, veri toplama sürecinde turizm alanında uzman kişilerle yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Elde edilen veriler, Azerbaycan’ın iş turizmi potansiyelini bütüncül bir perspektifle değerlendirmek amacıyla SWOT analizi (güçlü yönler, zayıf yönler, fırsatlar ve tehditler) çerçevesinde tematik olarak incelenmiştir. Bulgular doğrultusunda ülkenin mevcut durumu kapsamlı şekilde değerlendirilmiş; uluslararası turizm pazarındaki rekabet gücünün artırılması ve mevcut potansiyelin daha etkin kullanılması için stratejik öneriler sunulmuştur. Bu yönüyle çalışma, politika yapıcılar, turizm sektörü paydaşları ve ilgili kurumlar açısından uygulamaya dönük önemli çıkarımlar sağlamaktadır.

Keywords

• Alternatif Turizm
• İş Turizmi
• Azerbaycan

Alternative Tourism Opportunities: Analysis of the Potential of Business Tourism in Azerbaijan

Abstract

In an increasingly globalized world, the tourism sector plays a strategic role in national economic development, while alternative forms of tourism have gained growing prominence beyond conventional leisure travel. Among these, business tourism stands out as a significant segment offering destinations a competitive advantage through its high revenue potential and positive contribution to destination image. The successful hosting of large-scale international events in Azerbaijan — including COP29, Formula 1, and the CIS Games — demonstrates the countrys considerable business tourism potential. Azerbaijans strategic position at the East–West transport corridor intersection, developing MICE infrastructure, and accumulated event experience establish it as an emerging regional destination and form the primary focus of this study. The limited number of comprehensive, strategy-oriented studies addressing Azerbaijans business tourism potential constitutes the principal motivation for this research. This study examines business tourism through the dimensions of economic and environmental sustainability and destination competitiveness — encompassing infrastructure, human capital, and event experience — employing an integrated SWOT–TOWS framework that moves beyond situational description to enable actionable strategy generation, thereby constituting the studys original contribution. Within a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 purposively selected tourism academics and public sector representatives until theoretical saturation was achieved. The findings reveal that Azerbaijan possesses notable strengths — strategic location, modern MICE infrastructure, and international event experience — while structural weaknesses persist in regional infrastructure imbalances, high transportation costs, and human capital shortages. Opportunities presented by the green economy, hybrid event models, and expanding Asian and Gulf markets reinforce the countrys potential as a regional MICE hub. The SWOT–TOWS analysis yielded 16 strategic directions, with green event promotion, regional infrastructure development, and human capital enhancement identified as priorities. The study contributes to emerging destination literature while providing policymakers and industry stakeholders with actionable strategic recommendations.

Keywords

• Alternative Tourism
• Business Tourism
• Azerbaijan

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