Assessing green tourism readiness of a riverfront destination in Mingachevir, Azerbaijan

Riverfront sites have the potential to stimulate local economic activity and put pressure on local water resources, public spaces, ecosystems, and infrastructure. This study evaluates the green tourism readiness of the city of Mingachevir in Azerbaijan, which is situated on the Kura River and lies beside Mingachevir Reservoir. The type of the study was an indicator-based readiness assessment with qualitative case-study design using secondary data. The analysis combines policy and document analysis with four dimensions: environmental resource base and ecological sensitivity, accessibility and tourism infrastructure, socio-economic inclusion of the local population and green governance and monitoring. The sources included National development documents, environmental documents, Official tourism sources, International sustainability frameworks and most recent peer-reviewed research. The results show that Mingachevir possesses a very rich natural and recreational resource base for river-oriented tourism in terms of its waterfront landscapes, rowing and boating, fishing, birdwatching and available facilities for visitors. But in order to achieve the leap from tourism potential to a sustainable tourism destination it is necessary to have more ecological monitoring, low impact mobility, resource efficient tourism services, waste management, participation of local enterprises, and sustainability indicators at the destination level. The study aims to put forth a practical green riverfront tourism model, incorporating ecological protection, green infrastructure, community value creation, digital & financial accessibility and continuous monitoring. The framework outlines a locally relevant groundwork for riverfront tourism development and conserving the environmental resources the destination relies on in accordance with Azerbaijan's green-growth agenda.