Azerbaijan eyes around 65,000 arrivals from India in 2019

Azerbaijan is looking at around 63 per cent increase in the number of arrivals from India in 2019 to about 65,000, as it undertakes a slew of initiatives to hard-sell the country as a preferred destination, the country's top tourism board official said on Monday.

Azerbaijan had 40,000 travellers from India in 2018, and is holding a three-city roadshow here to showcase the country as a unique and affordable destination.

"We are expecting around 65,000 arrivals from India in 2019. From January to July this year, 33,000 people from India have already visited our country," Azerbaijan Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Florian Sengstschmid told PTI.

The tourism board had also opened a representative office in India in 2018, he added.

To popularise Azerbaijan as a preferred destination, "we are holding a three-city road show and will be visiting Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. These roadshows underpin our commitment to India and its residents," Sengstschmid said.

Other factors contributing to the rise in the number of Indians visiting Azerbaijan is increase in air connectivity, working closely with industry players in India, trade shows and simplified electronic visa procedure for Indian passport holders, he added.

"We are also focusing on weddings and MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) segments. The corporates and families till now have been the large segments," Sengstschmid said.

Azerbaijan is a unique incredible mix of Europe and Orient and attracts visitors with its history, culture and food, among other things, he added.

The Azerbaijan Tourism Board is a national promotion body established under the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan with the main objective to support the growth of Azerbaijan's tourism industry.