Everyone loves to rest in hot summer days. In this season, there are a lot of people who spend a lot of money on a meaningful leisure on the far journey. However, there are some people who choose the villages within the greenery only a few hours away from the city they live in, for which rural tourism is the most affordable type of recreation. Interest in this type of tourism, especially in the developed countries of Europe, is increasing in our country, including Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Our rich natural tourism resources and renewed social infrastructure are key factors for this. Rural tourism is economically profitable, and very easy from organizational point of view. There are no difficulties in organizing this type of tourism compared to others. For example, for those who live in Nakhchivan city or other cities of the autonomous republic, during the summer vacation, when traveling to Bichenek village of Shahbuz region or Chennab village of Ordubad region, you can see it more clearly when compared to any tourist center near abroad. Thus, it is possible to organize a recreation program for a family of four in one village for at least twenty days at a cost of one week on a foreign tour. Moreover, as rural tourism is mainly related to domestic tourism, tourists do not even have problems with language problems or visas. This type of tourism, besides saving tourists’ expenses, is a source of income for the population of the villages.
Renting a part of the villagers’ house or yard, providing tourists with daily food products is a good source of income. Today, the rapid improvement of infrastructure in our villages, the improvement in the living conditions of the population by increasing in incomes, are also among the positive factors. Undoubtedly, villages’ exotic atmosphere for city tourists, the attractive village views, interesting traditions, kitchen samples prepared with ecologically clean and unique menu are the main motives, yet the modern living conditions are considered to be one of the most important conditions. In other words, there are very interesting elements of attraction for urban tourists in the countryside.
Undoubtedly, the cool weather of the remote mountain villages is a true tourism destination for the city residents this summer, when the temperature of the air reached 40 degrees. Indeed, how can you make sure the people who do not stay in the village in such hot weather, it is not possible to sleep in the city at night without using air conditioners, even though in the mountainous villages of Shahbuz, residents sometimes wear thicker clothes in the evenings. That is why those who once see the cool air of the village, its water as ice, green gardens that allow you to spend a great deal of time in the shadows look forward to go there again. And this time not alone but his family and friends. Development of rural tourism in the autonomous republic is in the center of attention. Thus, the role of rural tourism in the use of our tourism resources and the provision of employment of population is in the interest of the state. Awareness-raising campaigns have begun to yield fruit in this field years ago. From the previous years, the measures taken in this direction in mountainous villages have increased the interest of the population in this type of business. It should be noted that, traditionally, the tradition of staying in the village with the family on warm summer days existed also during Soviet times. At that time, this field was not developed because of the prohibition of business activity. Now, in the free market economy, there are favorable conditions for turning every resource owned by the villager into a profit and has state support to use it. Certainly, what could be better for the Nakhichivan villagers than selling high-quality oil, meat, honey, milk and milk products at a good price at their own home? In addition, the benefit gained from real estate renting for tourists.
It should be noted that, with current market prices, this amount varies between 20-30 AZN per day in our country. Now, as compared to hotel prices in foreign countries, this is not too expensive for tourists, but rather for those who want to stay longer. If you take into account that the number of tour days in rural tourism is much more common than ordinary tours, for example, it lasts usually 2-3 weeks, sometimes up to a month, then in the summer, this area can be considered a stable source of income.
Prospects for rural tourism development are highly appreciated in the autonomous republic. Starting from previous years, instructive events were held in Ordubad, Shahbuz and other regions to develop this profitable type of tourism. The website of the Nakhchivan Tourism Information Center posted information about the houses where tourists can stay in the mountain villages of the autonomous republic. In addition, in the autonomous republican press, a large number of educational materials were published and programs were broadcast on the potential of our rural tourism and ways of its use.
Unfortunately, in the autonomous republic, there are still some problems in the field of rural tourism, where there are all conditions for tourism development, there are considerable progress in acquaintance, treatment, sports, transit tourism and other types of tourism. Thus, in our surveys about the current situation of rural tourism in the autonomous republics of the region from the district executive authorities, only Shahbuz and Ordubad districts informed that, Shahbuz has 11 and Ordubad 5 houses for renting tourists. When contacting those homeowners, we have learned that some of them have been visited a few times since last year. The tourism charm of our villages, the hospitality of the people and the existing opportunities of the socio-cultural infrastructure created in the area encourage us to mobilize all of us in the development of rural tourism. Because the development of rural tourism in the autonomous republic, in the end, means the increase in our revenues, the rise of our welfare.