Azerbaijan’s tourism map shifts towards China Visa-free regime bears fruit

The closing year of 2025 is difficult to classify as successful in terms of inbound tourism. Due to a combination of objective and subjective factors, there has been a decline in trips from Russia and several post-Soviet countries, as well as from India and some Middle Eastern states. According to the State Border Service, from January to September 2025, 1,948,200 foreigners from 183 countries visited Azerbaijan, which is 1.8% less than in the same period last year.

Despite this overall drop, some key markets have seen significant growth, with China standing out in particular. In the first three quarters alone, the number of Chinese tourists increased by nearly 50%. Insights from the China Visitors Summit held in Baku suggest that this trend is set to become a major driver of Azerbaijan’s inbound tourism in the years ahead.

Over the past two decades, Azerbaijan has developed a relatively advanced tourism sector. In terms of five-star hotels under renowned international brands, high-end resorts and restaurants, as well as mountain and spa destinations, the country ranks among the leaders in the Caspian region. By leveraging an extensive recreational infrastructure, introducing simplified visa procedures, and creating budget-friendly options, Azerbaijan has actively cultivated its tourism market since 2016. The sector’s greatest success came in the pre-crisis year of 2019, when the country set an all-time record for its post-independence period—3.2 million foreign tourists visited Azerbaijan.

That record has yet to be surpassed; however, the domestic tourism sector successfully weathered the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic challenges, recovering in 2022–2024 to over 80% of pre-crisis levels. Notably, inbound tourism saw a major breakthrough in 2024: nearly 2.627 million foreign visitors and stateless persons from 196 countries travelled to Azerbaijan, a 25.9% increase over the previous year. Total spending by foreign tourists exceeded $5.1 billion, with the recreational sector contributing 4.5% to the national GDP.

Unfortunately, this growth momentum could not be sustained in 2025. According to the State Statistics Committee, citing the State Border Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan, approximately 1.948 million foreign citizens visited the country during the first three quarters—a 1.8% decline compared to the same period last year. While not all arrivals can be strictly classified as tourists, these figures broadly reflect the trends reported by the relevant agencies.

In particular, the number of Russian tourists visiting Azerbaijan from January to September fell by 12%, while arrivals from Middle Eastern countries decreased by 13.4%. Visitors from Central Asia also saw a decline of 10.2%.

Commenting on the state of the tourism market at the end of August, Kanan Guluzada, Advisor to the Chairman of the State Tourism Agency (STA) and Acting Head of its Apparatus, emphasised that the decline in tourist flows is largely linked to the complex geopolitical situation:

"The decrease in the number of tourists from Russia and India, which are among our key markets, has affected the overall statistics. Conflicts in the Middle East have caused flight delays and complicated travel."

Nevertheless, stability in tourist arrivals is being maintained thanks to growth from several Asian countries and European states. According to the State Statistics Committee, over the first three quarters of 2025, arrivals from European Union member states increased by 8.5%, reaching 88,800 visitors. Tourist numbers from Israel rose 1.8 times, from Japan 1.6 times, from China by 49%, and from the United States by 16.3%.

In this context, China has emerged as a strategic priority for Azerbaijan, with bilateral tourist flows growing rapidly and air connectivity between the two countries expanding successfully. Direct flights have been established on the Baku–Beijing route, operated by AZAL three times a week, and on the Baku–Ürümqi route, served by China Southern Airlines five times a week. Azerbaijan is also considering launching a direct flight to the Chinese city of Xi’an.

Last year, 44,798 Chinese tourists visited Azerbaijan, doubling the 2023 figures. From January to October 2025, the number of Chinese visitors exceeded 57,000, a 49% increase compared to the same period in 2024. This surge was significantly supported by the unilateral abolition of the visa regime for Chinese citizens. Furthermore, during President Ilham Aliyev’s recent visit to China, an Agreement on Mutual Visa-Free Travel was signed.

The expansion of partnerships in the recreational sector was the focus of the China Visitors Summit held on November 17, organised by the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan. The China Visitors Summit—an international platform held annually in different countries to foster cooperation with Chinese tourism companies—was hosted in Baku for the first time. The event brought together over 50 Chinese tourism companies alongside representatives from Azerbaijan’s domestic tourism industry.

The forum featured B2B meetings between travel agencies, hotel chains, and other hospitality sector stakeholders from both countries, where prospects for bilateral cooperation were explored. As part of the summit, trips are planned for Chinese tour operators to Azerbaijan’s Shamakhi, Gabala, Shaki, and Gakh regions, along with other initiatives aimed at promoting the country’s regional tourism potential.

"The agreements reached during the state visit of President Ilham Aliyev to China mark a new stage of cooperation in the tourism sector between our two countries," said Fuad Naghiyev, Chairman of the State Tourism Agency, speaking at the China Visitors Summit. "At present, special attention is being given to two main areas of tourism relations with China — promoting the China Ready concept in our country and expanding marketing activities in the PRC."

Speaking at the summit, Florian Sengstschmid, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Tourism Bureau, and Alexander Glos, Executive Director of i2i, stated that tourism cooperation between Azerbaijan and China is expanding rapidly, and tourist exchanges between the two countries are increasing thanks to new travel packages and programmes.

"China is now the world's largest outbound travel market, and Azerbaijan's share continues to grow each year. The visa-free travel arrangement between Azerbaijan and China has greatly contributed to the increase in tourism. This year, we are seeing a 50% growth compared to the same period last year," emphasised Sengstschmid, head of the Bureau.

Over the past two years, large-scale initiatives have been undertaken to promote Azerbaijan’s tourism products and expand cooperation with China, including the signing of memorandums of understanding with Qyer.com, Qunar, and Trip.com Group. The Azerbaijan Tourism Bureau showcased the country’s tourism potential at COTTM 2023, GITF 2024, and ITB China 2025, as well as at presentations held in various Chinese cities.

Azerbaijani tourism companies have participated in international travel exhibitions in China and hosted presentations in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Regular meetings with Chinese tourism companies have been held, and Azerbaijan’s recreational potential has been actively promoted on various platforms, including WeChat, Weibo, Qunar, C-trip, Fliggy, Douyin, and Little Red Book, as well as through organised trips for bloggers.

Looking ahead to 2026, more extensive media campaigns, familiarisation visits, and a series of promotional events across multiple Chinese cities are planned.

Recent developments further support the prospects of the Chinese tourism vector. Since this autumn, Azerbaijan has launched a guide training programme in cooperation with the Confucius Institute. This initiative aims to prepare a new generation of guides, who will work not only in Baku but also across the country’s regions.

Finally, an Azerbaijan Tourism Bureau office is planned to open in China in the near future, to strengthen the country’s presence in the Chinese market and further promote the Destination Azerbaijan brand.