Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB) is participating at EMITT on 9-12 February 2022 with the aim of introducing its plans for the year as well as exploring collaboration opportunities with Turkish stakeholders in Istanbul, Turkey.
“We consider participation at EMITT a great opportunity not only to present our new tourism experiences, but also to share our plans to work more closely with our colleagues in Turkey, especially now that we can meet face-to-face”, said Florian Sengstschmid, Chief Executive Officer of ATB.
Taking firm steps towards the development of sustainable tourism in the country, the official institution continues to shape new offers for travellers in 2022.
For example, Slow Food Travel, a concept developed within an EU-funded project in 2021 where tourists can experience local production and gastronomy first hand, is accessible in the north-western region of the country, and it is planned carry this experience to the subtropical south which has a very special cuisine as well.
With the inclusion of the first route of Azerbaijan on the Transcaucasian trails, more comprehensive experiences are being developed for hiking enthusiasts. This 97 km-long route starts from historical Sheki and continues through the most spectacular places in the north-western region of the country until Zagatala. In order to take this experience to a higher level, there are plans to establish a school for mountain guides and to benefit from experience exchanges with Turkish professionals in this field.
ATB is also focusing on the birdwatching potential of the country, which contains unique geographical features, resulting in a remarkable range of landscapes, habitats, and climate zones.
While improving the experiences developed last year, new tourism offerings are also being developed. While safari tours in Shamakhi surrounded by Caucasus Mountains for Eco tourists, exciting mountain coaster at Shahdag Mountain Resort, paragliding in other mountain resorts, zip line, snowshoe hiking and other activities await adrenaline lovers, the world's first oil tanker museum and reconstructed zoo in the capital Baku are among the new experiences.
Among the other news expected for 2022 is the opening of the Mud Volcanoes Tourism Complex, which will combine many activities in itself, as well as the opening of the Ritz-Carlton and Hotel Indigo hotels.
Moreover, two more international airports are under construction in the Karabakh region, where the Fuzuli International Airport was recently opened. There is also continuous work to develop many interesting travel experiences in Karabakh, which has many natural assets, rich cultural and historical heritage.
According to statistics, an increase in the number of tourists from Turkey has been observed since the gradual opening of Azerbaijan's international borders. Last year, Turkey was the second among the countries from where most tourists travelled to Azerbaijan, with more than 197 thousand tourists. This figure is expected to increase further in 2022.
Azerbaijan is now open to 70 countries by air travel. Turkish citizens can travel to Azerbaijan with their ID cards, with those aged over 18 submitting both a COVID passport (an official document issued by the relevant country on complete vaccination or recovery from COVID-19) and a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before the flight, while for minors only the latter needs to be provided within the indicated period of time.
You can find out more about the wonders of this pleasantly surprising country at Azerbaijan.travel.