Baku, the Capital of Azerbaijan was known as the Paris of the Soviet Union. The destination is working to attract additional visitors from Central Asia, particularly Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, visa-free.
The Azerbaijan Tourism Board hosted tourism representatives from both countries on a familiarization trip to showcase the country’s diverse summer offerings.
Participants explored key landmarks in Baku and were introduced to a wide range of tourism products, including hotels in the picturesque regions of Shamakhi and Basqal. The itinerary also featured site inspections of the city hotels and beach resorts along the Caspian coastline, where guests experienced firsthand the growing appeal of seaside getaways.
The highlight of the visit included an immersive experience at Dream Fest, a popular music event held at the Sea Breeze Resort, which has become a significant draw for regional travelers.
The trip concluded with a B2B session attended by nearly 60 Azerbaijani DMCs and hotels, providing a platform for building new partnerships and strengthening regional tourism cooperation.
The demand from Kazakh and Uzbek travellers is facilitated by the visa-free regime and the availability of non-stop flights, allowing travellers to reach the largest city in the Caucasus region in approximately 3 hours. Direct flights are operated from 4 cities of Kazakhstan and 2 cities of Uzbekistan through AZAL, FlyArystan, Air Astana, Uzbekistan Airways, and Centrum Air.
One of the trip’s highlights was a visit to Dream Fest, a major music event held at the Sea Breeze Resort. The festival has grown into a popular attraction for regional travelers, offering an engaging cultural experience in a beachside setting.
Azerbaijan Tourism Board
Discovering a land and its people is a truly unique experience. It takes you on a different journey every time, and opens the mind to seeing something new.
Recent data from the Azerbaijan Tourism Board shows promising trends. In the first half of this year, more than 68,000 tourists from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan visited the country, marking a 15 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Azerbaijan has been actively implementing long-term strategies to elevate its tourism sector. In 2018, the country launched the “Take Another Look!” campaign, accompanied by a new international tourism logo designed to reposition Azerbaijan as a must-visit global destination.
That same year, the State Tourism Agency opened six overseas offices in key markets, including Russia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, China, and Germany.
These efforts paid off in 2019 before COVID reversed the course, when Azerbaijan welcomed a record 3.2 million international visitors, representing an 11 percent increase over the previous year.
