Determining the current situation and potential of cultural tourism in Baku

Tourism as a service sector continues to grow and develop day by day. Today, the tourism sector alone accounts for approximately 30% of the world's service trade. Therefore, countries are competing to get a larger share of the tourism pie. The tourism sector also increases the growth potential of the economy as it accelerates the development of other sectors and medium-sized enterprises. The oil and gas sectors form the basis of Azerbaijan's economy. Recently, it is aimed to develop alternative sectors by developing the agriculture and tourism sectors. At the same time, it is aimed to strengthen the promotion of the country as well as the economic contribution of tourism. The capital Baku, one of the most visited spots by tourists, has an important touristic potential within the scope of cultural tourism with its natural and cultural attractions. The aim of the study was to reveal Baku's cultural tourism potential and to offer suggestions on this subject. The data of the study was collected using the face-to-face interview method from people working in the public and private sectors in Baku and related to the subject. Then, using the content analysis method, the data was made concise and more meaningful and tabulated. As a result of the study, the majority of participants emphasized that Baku has a wide range of richness in the context of cultural tourism, but there are some obstacles to the development of this potential. The main obstacles in question are; Promotion problem, touristic product diversification and lack of qualified personnel come to the fore. It is thought that the results of the study will contribute to both the literature and Azerbaijani tourism.