How is Azerbaijan losing millions of dollars? — "Tourists don't want weddings in restaurants"

The lavish wedding ceremony of MP Razi Nurullayev's brother in Dubai recently sparked widespread discussion on social media.
Yeniavaz.com reports that the wedding, held at the famous Ritz-Carlton hotel in Dubai, was also attended by famous Azerbaijani singers.
It's worth noting that in recent years, lavish weddings have expanded beyond the country's borders and become one of the most profitable sectors of the global tourism industry. Consider the cruise wedding organized by Anant Ambani, the son of India's richest man, Mukesh Ambani, on the coast of Portofino, Italy, or the wedding of famous singer Katy Perry in India. This demonstrates how enormous budgets are managed in this industry.
Even if the budgets are small, it's possible to find foreigners organizing lavish weddings in Azerbaijan. Several years ago, over $5 million was spent on an Indian couple's lavish wedding in Baku.
What is wedding tourism?
For reference, wedding tourism is the process of couples and their guests traveling to another country or city for a wedding ceremony. This type of travel includes not only the wedding day itself, but also accommodations for several days, meals at local restaurants, excursions, and shopping.
Currently, Italy, Greece, the UAE, Thailand, and Mexico lead the list of countries earning the most from wedding tourism worldwide. Especially in countries like India and Pakistan, where wedding traditions are very lavish, citizens of these countries constitute the largest client base for weddings abroad. Photos and impressions from lavish weddings held in Dubai demonstrate that high service and visual splendor are the main competitive factors in this sector.
"Wedding tourism needs to be actively promoted from abroad."
So, what opportunities does wedding tourism offer in Azerbaijan, and how can these opportunities be exploited?
In an interview with Yeniavaz.com, economist Allahverdi Aydin notes that our country is attractive to foreign tourists both for its Eastern flavor and its European modernity:
"Azerbaijan is located in a very favorable geographical position for countries like India, Pakistan, and Russia, which are interested in wedding tourism. The ease of the visa system and rich national cuisine create a solid foundation for the development of wedding tourism. However, attracting wedding tourists from abroad requires an active advertising campaign. It is especially important to establish relationships with international wedding planners and showcase our country's capabilities to them. To achieve this, it is necessary to develop a unified tourism package for airlines, hotels, and event planners."

Allahverdi Aydin

"Foreign tourists don't want a standard wedding in a wedding palace"
The economist argues that there are several serious economic and organizational reasons why interest in wedding tourism in Azerbaijan isn't at the desired level:
"Most travel companies specialize only in selling tickets and hotel rooms. Wedding tourism encompasses dozens of details, from decorations to specialized lighting and sound equipment. Lake Como in Italy or Bodrum in Turkey spend millions of dollars on advertising in this area. Our companies, on the other hand, present Azerbaijan at international exhibitions more as a center for mountain and forest tourism or medical tourism. The fact that land borders are closed and air travel is expensive increases the overall cost of a wedding. Couples are turning to destinations like Dubai or Antalya, where there are cheaper and more direct flights. Foreign tourists don't want a standard wedding in a wedding palace. They are looking for a unique atmosphere on a mountaintop, by the sea, or in a historical site. However, the process of obtaining permission to hold events in such locations is becoming a headache for companies."
The economist argues that to develop this sector, tourism companies should collaborate with foreign partners, especially Indian and Pakistani companies:
"The state should also support this work. The travel agency is spending a lot of money on promoting the country's tourism potential. They recently announced that millions of dollars will be spent on attracting journalists and bloggers from dozens of countries to Azerbaijan. I believe the agency could also cover the wedding expenses of some famous couples and bloggers for promotional purposes. There are vast opportunities in the wedding tourism industry, and companies that take their first professional steps in this field will be able to achieve great success in the future."

Elnur Ali