Travel in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan emerging as major international tourist destination

2019 saw the further development of the travel and tourism offer of Azerbaijan and in particular its dynamic and bustling capital Baku, which is emerging strongly as a major destination in the region. The reputation of Baku as a vibrant and exciting city for a visit is being enhanced by the numerous international events that are being held in the city, including in 2019 the final match of the UEFA Europa League, which was contested by London-based clubs Chelsea and Arsenal.

Online travel bookings remain underdeveloped

The review period saw huge increases in online sales of travel and tourism products and services, although this growth was from a very small sales base and offline sales continue to account for the bulk of travel intermediaries sales. The numerous reasons for this situation include the limited consumer awareness of the existence and offer of online travel intermediaries and the low trust that local consumers have in online transactions generally.

Low cost carriers sees strong development due to state-owned Buta Airways

Among the most notable stories in Azerbaijan’s travel industry in 2019 was the expansion of the route network of the state-owned low cost carrier Buta Airways, a wholly-owned subsidiary of national flag carrier Azerbaijan Airways (AZAL). Among the new routes introduced towards the end of the review period were flights between Baku and Izmir (Turkey) and Sofia (Bulgaria), while 2019 saw the launch of routes between Baku and Ankara (Turkey), Batumi (Georgia), Ufa (Russia) and Odessa and Kharkiv (Ukraine).

Baku Card launch brings the city into line with major European destinations

April 2019 saw the launch of Baku Card, a card which tourists can use to make their stay in the Azerbaijani capital cheaper, easier and more interesting. The Baku Card is a joint project of the National Tourism Promotion Bureau, the Baku Transport Agency and PASHA Travel (IATA and ISO-certified Tourism and Destination Management Company).

Azerbaijan’s status as an international tourism destination to continue growing

The forecast period is likely to see Azerbaijan continue to develop its reputation as a highly attractive international tourist destination, with Baku likely to remain at the heart of this. Numerous new hotels are slated for development and/or completion during the forecast period, while the ongoing expansion of the city’s air passenger capacity and route network is likely to make it easier and cheaper than ever before to visit Baku.

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