Azerbaijan Observes 80% Growth In Indian Tourists, Conducts Three-City Roadshow

Recently, Azerbaijan Tourism held a three day-three city roadshow in Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai respectively from 9^th to 13^th September. The major agenda behind this event was to bring together key leaders from the travel industry in this region and to build a notable bond between the countries. The major names to be part of the road-show were Ashraf Shikhaliyev, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to India, officials from the Azerbaijan Tourism Board, led by CEO, Florian Sengstschmid and Nazim Samadov, Deputy Director Executive of Azerbaijan Airlines/Buta Airways Director.

The road-show was a great opportunity for all the Indian Trade Partners and Travel Agents to know about the vibrant experiences that Azerbaijan has to offer. The delegates all across the three cities interacted with more than 900 Indian retail partners that included tour operators, travel agents, cruise specialists, wedding planners and MICE representatives.

In 2019, with the help of simplified electronic visa procedures for Indian passport holders and a direct flight from Delhi, tourism took an increase by a total of 80%. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council Impact Report 2018, new initiatives are also planning to be executed that improves Azerbaijan’s ranking among-st the countries with a high tourism contribution towards the national GDP. If the forecast is to be believed, in the next 10 years, the ranking is set to be among-st the top 20 potential countries.With this, the launch of ATB’s marketing campaign- “Take another look” encourages the travelers to discover Azerbaijan’s hidden gems and at the same time, double the current inbound tourism by the year 2023.

During the roadshow, the Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to India said, “Azerbaijan is the ideal destination for numerous reasons. With excellent connectivity and a wide variety of experiences, Baku is an affluent city with modern infrastructure. It is still a relatively unexplored destination, which is a key selling point for Indian tourists who want a unique experience. We are seeing a surge in business events and wedding travel – Azerbaijan provides the perfect set up for weddings with world-class hotels and gorgeous indoor and outdoor locations. With over 15 million weddings each year, the Indian wedding, honeymoon and milestone celebrations market offers tremendous potential.”