ME key source market for Azerbaijan

Over the past few months, Azerbaijan has welcomed travellers from the GCC which gave them an opportunity to showcase their novel infrastructure and leisure, retail and entertainment across the destination. Florian Sengstschmid, CEO, Azerbaijan Tourism Board shares with TRAVTALK.

Shehara Rizly

What are the new protocols and policies when it comes to visitors from GCC?

As the pandemic situation continues, solid measures have been put in place in Azerbaijan. All visitors over the age of 18 travelling to Azerbaijan must be fully vaccinated and present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before their flight, while visitors under 18 only need to submit the latter. Only vaccinated people are allowed to enter all the large shopping malls, hotels and restaurants in the country as of September 1. It is an official protocol implemented by the Azerbaijani government to ensure the health and safety of residents and visitors alike. Our common goal is to provide a safe environment.

What are the new attractions for the visitors from GCC?

We keep seeing novelties regarding infrastructure upgrades in Azerbaijan. The largest shopping centre in the Caucasus region – the lotus-shaped Deniz Mall – opened last year. This centre is a full-fledged entertainment, retail, leisure and dining destination.

Also, this year two brand-new hotels were also introduced. The second largest hotel in Azerbaijan with a vast 365 guest rooms, Courtyard by Marriott Baku is located within walking distance of the Old City. Another international hotel brand recently opened is InterContinental Baku, situated in the very centre of the city, boasting stunning views of the Caspian Sea and architectural landmarks like the Flame Towers.

Some regions are well-known for grape harvesting between August and October, especially Shamakhi. While in this region, visitors can enjoy delicious grape juice and combine it with the newly opened Alpaca Farm.

As winter approaches, I would like to mention Azerbaijan’s mountain resorts as well. Shahdag in Gusar, Tufandag in Gabala, as well as Agbulag in Nakhchivan are promising facilities. From skiing and paragliding to snowmobiling and quad tours, travellers can get a great taste of winter. Also, the Shahdag Mountain Coaster is being constructed at the moment, which will provide an exciting entertainment opportunity with majestic views of the Caucasus mountains.

Are there any specialised programmes for agents to sell Azerbaijan?

In 2020, we launched an e-learning platform, Azerbaijan 101, for travel agents and representatives to provide in-depth knowledge about Azerbaijan’s offerings. Those interested can register for the available courses at elearning.tourismboard.az. Upon the course completion participants are awarded the digital certificate ‘Travel Specialist of Azerbaijan’ by the Azerbaijan Tourism Board.

This platform has proved to be a valuable asset in reaching a large number of tourism specialists around the world and keeping them updated about the Azerbaijan tourism industry. Even though we are gradually resuming our physical participation at international events and exhibitions, we still make sure to keep our online presence through digital initiatives.  We are also planning to arrange a ‘Week of Azerbaijan’ within the Expo 2020 Dubai. This is going to be a series of events dedicated to four different routes in Azerbaijan.

What are the initiatives taken to attract visitors from the GCC?

We have recently launched large-scale campaigns on international travel platforms, which include digital placements on major international travel platforms. We are planning digital cooperation with the Dubai National Air Travel Agency (dnata) too. We have started working with travel trade media platforms as well, including TravelTrendz
International, TTN Middle East and TravTalk, and we are already seeing positive results.

We also anticipate finalising all the documentation work and reopening our representation offices in key source markets by October. Until then, we are continuing virtual and physical meetings with our counterparts. Another major activity we have been planning is our participation at the Expo 2020 Dubai. Having a pavilion dedicated to Azerbaijan, organising some media events as well as a panel discussion will be an interesting chance to connect with relevant tourism industry stakeholders.

We will also host concerts, culinary masterclasses, the famous tea ceremonies of Azerbaijan and other activities. Lastly, we are preparing for the Qatar Travel Mart in November.