Turkmenistan Tourism Vid Part II 04/23/2010
I think my obsession with tourism videos from Central Asia and the Caucasus has reached an unhealthy level.
Video Highlights:
1:01 Berdimuhamedov looking pensive.
1:10 Western consultant BSing
1:30 Construction site or bombed out hotel in the desert?
1:45 Sand removal fail
Etc.
Video Highlights:
1:01 Berdimuhamedov looking pensive.
1:10 Western consultant BSing
1:30 Construction site or bombed out hotel in the desert?
1:45 Sand removal fail
Etc.
Add Comment
Never Let Your Regime Decorate 03/25/2010
Can't we just stick with this theme guys?
If you ever ask an Azeri official how this small, resource rich country intends to make money after its oil and natural gas reserves dry up, the answer, almost to a man, is tourism. Yes, tourism.
As anyone who has ever flown into Heydar Aliyev International Airport knows, the tourism sector in Azerbaijan is, shall we say, underdeveloped. A tourist visa costs an exorbitant $131 (assuming you are a US citizen) and once you exit the airport, the situation isn't much better. There are very few traditional tourist sites, the country is extremely expensive, and most of the transportation infrastructure hails from the Brezhnev era.
In short there is a good reason that most of the "tourists" one sees in Baku are either businessmen trying to kill time before their next meeting or Germans waiting for the ferry to Turkmenistan.
Don't get me wrong, I love living in Azerbaijan. There are many amazing things to do and see here and Azeris are beyond hospitable. But the reality is that when an upper-middle class family of four decides where to spend their vacation dollar, very few will choose Azerbaijan. Certainly not enough to replace the billions of dollars revenue of generated by the sale of Azeri oil and natural gas.
Read more after the jump ---->
As anyone who has ever flown into Heydar Aliyev International Airport knows, the tourism sector in Azerbaijan is, shall we say, underdeveloped. A tourist visa costs an exorbitant $131 (assuming you are a US citizen) and once you exit the airport, the situation isn't much better. There are very few traditional tourist sites, the country is extremely expensive, and most of the transportation infrastructure hails from the Brezhnev era.
In short there is a good reason that most of the "tourists" one sees in Baku are either businessmen trying to kill time before their next meeting or Germans waiting for the ferry to Turkmenistan.
Don't get me wrong, I love living in Azerbaijan. There are many amazing things to do and see here and Azeris are beyond hospitable. But the reality is that when an upper-middle class family of four decides where to spend their vacation dollar, very few will choose Azerbaijan. Certainly not enough to replace the billions of dollars revenue of generated by the sale of Azeri oil and natural gas.
Read more after the jump ---->
Loading
