This article investigates the role of tourism as a component of national economic development, specifically examining the southern regions of Azerbaijan. The primary objective of the research is to comprehensively analyze the tourism potential of the Lankaran-Astara economic region and identify its developmental prospects. The study indicates that the development of tourism positively impacts increasing employment, revitalizing the local economy, and improving infrastructure in the region. Simultaneously, existing challenges—such as infrastructure deficiencies, inconsistent service quality, and weak international promotion—have been identified, and proposals for addressing them have been put forward. Consequently, the development of tourism within the Lankaran-Astara economic region occupies a significant place in Azerbaijan's regional and national economic development strategy, and the sustainable growth of this sector holds substantial importance for future prospects.
Alakbarov et al. (Thu,) studied this question.