03 Oct 2025
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Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB), together with five trade partners including Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), successfully concluded its roadshow in Italy on 1-2 October 2025. The program connected Azerbaijan directly with leading Italian travel trade professionals and media representatives. The two-city roadshow held in Rome and Milan featured networking opportunities to strengthen partnerships and grow awareness of Azerbaijan’s tourism offerings in Italy.
The events gathered up to 80 Italian travel trade and media representatives, connecting them with Azerbaijani tourism stakeholders including hotels, DMCs, and regional tourism representatives. The roadshow started in Rome with participation of the notable guests including Mr. Fuad Nagiyev, Chairman of the State Tourism Agency (STA), Mr. Florian Sengstschmid, CEO of Azerbaijan Tourism Board, and H. E. Mr. Ilgar Mukhtarov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Holy See. The Milan event further highlighted the strong interest of Italian partners, also featuring extensive trade and media interactions.
“We are delighted to reconnect with our trade partners, travel professionals, and media representatives during the roadshow,” said Florian Sengstschmid, CEO of ATB. “This initiative strengthens our ties with Italy’s travel trade and provides a first-hand introduction to Azerbaijan’s diverse tourism offerings, from cultural discovery and nature escapes to unique wellness retreats,” he added.
The program included destination presentation highlighting the latest updates on Azerbaijan’s hospitality sector, health and wellness tourism projects, cultural and adventure travel opportunities. Each stop on the roadshow featured B2B sessions and a networking reception, serving as a platform for one-on-one meetings between Italian and Azerbaijani stakeholders. The evening concluded with musical performances by the renowned Azerbaijani pianist and composer Isfar Sarabski.
The roadshow reflects ATB’s strategic commitment to expand tourism collaboration and enhancing destination’s presence in Italy. Building on these strengthened ties and recognizing the importance of tourism relations with Italy, starting from 2026, ATB plans to expand its activities in the country by organizing more workshops, familiarization trips for media and trade, and participating in international exhibitions in Italy.
As part of the visit to Italy, Mr. Fuad Nagiyev, Chairman of the STA, and Mr. Florian Sengstschmid, CEO of ATB, participated in the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) annual Global Summit in Rome. Recognized as the most influential event in the global Travel & Tourism calendar, the summit serves as a key platform for public and private sector leaders to come together and shape the future of the industry.
Complementing these initiatives, Azerbaijan offers convenient flight connections and e-visa procedures to make travel easier for Italian visitors. AZAL Airlines operates convenient daily direct flights from Milan to Baku, while WizzAir offers direct flights from Rome to Baku four times a week. Citizens of Italy can apply for an e-VISA through evisa.gov.az at least three days before their planned arrival date, or opt for an urgent visa, which can be processed within 3 to 5 hours. The visa is valid for 90 days, during which Italian travellers can visit Azerbaijan for up to 30 days at a time. Reflecting the impact of the ease of accessibility, the number of visitors from Italy increased by 13% from January to August 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
