UN Tourism: Azerbaijan has significant potential to develop wellness tourism

Azerbaijan has significant potential to develop wellness tourism, Michel Julian, a senior program officer at the UN World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), told Report.

He noted that the country is pursuing a long-term strategy to develop medical and wellness tourism based on its unique natural resources:

"UN Tourism is ready to support Azerbaijan in this effort. We are pleased to be here to share our knowledge and best practices."

Julian said one of Azerbaijan's key advantages was that, alongside medical services, it offers wellness products such as Naftalan oil.

"The idea is to create an integrated product that will give the country a competitive advantage in attracting different categories of tourists. This would allow travelers to benefit both from wellness products and from trips for medical treatment. Azerbaijan's tourism sector has considerable potential. First, the country has a favorable geographical location. Second, it regularly hosts numerous international events. Azerbaijan prioritizes the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry. Combining this potential with medical tourism offerings would create an integrated product attractive to new target audiences," Julian said.

The UN Tourism representative also highlighted the role of accreditation in the tourism sector:

"It confirms that infrastructure meets high standards, strengthens Azerbaijan's position on the global stage, demonstrates service quality and guarantees the safety of visiting patients."