The main goal of this paper is to research differences that start to change consumer behavior in the digital era since the advent of COVID 19. The events associated with the pandemic that led to increased social distance and complete lockdown undoubtedly affect not only the economic situation territories and countries in general, but also on the behavior of each individual. The situation that has arisen has forced more and more consumers to meet their needs with the help of digital tools, and this process has some special characteristics. The article shows the results of analytical and comparative analysis of the changes in consumer behavior in the digital space since the onset of the pandemic. It was researched trends change consumer demand in the study categories via Google Trends. The practical study was conducted on the basis of the analysis of changes in consumer behavior and their preferences in the direction of recreation and tourism, where the data of a sociological survey of Azerbaijani citizens to study the potential impact of COVID-19 on the tourism industry was used. The survey was conducted on April 13-21, 2020 by a team of researchers from the University of Northampton (UK), the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, University of National and World Economy (Bulgaria). According to the results of the study, conclusions were drawn that give new challenges to the development of marketing in the digital environment, namely: digital tools have had rapid unpredictable development since the COVID-19 pandemic, and remain as high level in demand after easing restrictive measures; entrepreneurship was not ready for such quick transformation; after the first interactions in digital space, the consumer has a stable experience of interaction with specific brands, but they disappoint the expectations of consumers in a personalized contact. Based on the conclusions, an algorithm for building relationships with consumers and increasing their level of loyalty in the digital environment is proposed. The results of this study could be used in the implementation of marketing goals of representatives of different levels of business structures, governments.

The article is devoted to the current issue of 2020 on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism industry in general, Azerbaijan in particular, and overcoming this crisis, taking into account the main aspects and goals of sustainable development. The primary purpose of the article is to form recommendations for compliance with the goals of sustainable development in the tourism industry of Azerbaijan with the levelling of events caused by the influence of COVID-19. A review of the scientific literature concluded that the issue of tourism marketing in crisis conditions is always complicated and multifaceted. The development of the tourism sector is a positive change for the host countries, which helps to solve problems in other areas of the economy. The article presents the dynamics of development of the tourism industry in recent years in the world, in the group of Middle East countries, which respectively includes Azerbaijan. The leading quantitative indicators of tourism development in Azerbaijan, neighbouring countries, and Ukraine were compared. The relevance of this study is that a systematic restart of the tourism sector after the end of quarantine measures is a necessary condition to take into account all the preferences, requests, and concerns of citizens who are direct participants in the economic component of tourism. During the preparation of the material, a marketing survey of Azerbaijani citizens was conducted to study the potential impact of COVID-19 on the tourism industry. The survey was conducted on April 13-21, 2020, by a team of researchers from the University of Northampton (UK), the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography at Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, University of National and World Economy (Bulgaria). The article highlights the main results of this study, based on which the critical inquiries of Azerbaijani citizens regarding the restart of tourism in the country were formed. The analytical method of the article analyzes the goals of sustainable development, announced following the Resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 25, and which become most relevant in the context of 2020 and are a challenge for modern society and Azerbaijan in particular. As a result of this study, recommendations were made to restart the tourism sector in Azerbaijan, given compliance with and implementation of sustainable development goals. The results of this study can be useful for the governing institutions of Azerbaijan and other countries in which the tourism industry has developed dynamically and rapidly over the past few years. Keywords tourism, sustainable development goals, COVID-19 impact, social aspects of tourism, tourist choice, restart of tourism, health of citizens.

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The research explores post-pandemic travel intentions, the availability of travel funds and accommodation preferences in Bulgaria and Azerbaijan – two countries with similar demographic and territorial characteristics but relatively different consumption patterns and tourist behaviour. In both countries, tourism forms a major part of the national economy and it has been hit by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The findings reveal major differences between the responses received in these countries in terms of how respondents perceive the current phase of the pandemic, and of post-pandemic travel intentions. The study concludes that it will be difficult to implement a common strategy for a post-pandemic tourism recovery.

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