- 9 hours ago
How Azerbaijan is building its next chapter in tourism
Florian Sengstschmid, CEO of the Azerbaijan Tourism Board, tells the Travel and Tourism Summit how direct flights, regional investment and a 2030 plan are shaping the country’s future.
Partner content Azerbaijan Tourism
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2026/10/14/how-azerbaijan-is-building-its-next-chapter-in-tourism
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Florian Sengstschmid, CEO of the Azerbaijan Tourism Board, tells the Travel and Tourism Summit how direct flights, regional investment and a 2030 plan are shaping the country’s future.
Partner content Azerbaijan Tourism
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2026/10/14/how-azerbaijan-is-building-its-next-chapter-in-tourism
Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages
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NewsTranscript
00:00As Austrian-born and having worked in destinations all around the world,
00:05what was it about Azerbaijan that made you want to take this on?
00:08And what continues to surprise you about the country today?
00:13I think you just said what continues to surprise me.
00:16It was my first time I was in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2001.
00:21And still since then, it continues to reveal itself to me all over these many years.
00:30Since I'm there now, in 2018, when we started to restructure tourism
00:36and really put on tourism development on top of the government agenda.
00:42In your recent Euronews interview, you spoke about the South Caucasus.
00:47Can you share with us some of the points that you raised there about why it's so special?
00:54In our opinion, the destination South Caucasus is completely underrated.
01:00It consists currently of a lot of individual countries, same as Central Asia.
01:06A lot of that falls under the post-Soviet era countries where we know there is a lot of stands
01:13and arms,
01:13but we cannot identify what is the real nature and the real story of each of them.
01:19And Azerbaijan is on the crossroads of Europe and Asia.
01:23It has amazing infrastructure.
01:26I just came back from an amazing F1 weekend in Baku with a beautiful, beautiful sunshine busing city
01:35and more than 17,000 foreign visitors to the city.
01:41And F1 is one of these examples that put Azerbaijan on the map,
01:46but there is much more to come and much more to offer.
01:51And very few people, especially in Europe, know that there is a lot of European history to Azerbaijan, right?
01:59So you had the Siemens Brothers building bridges, bridges you can still cross in the country.
02:06You have German heritage villages, Helenendorf and Annenfeld.
02:10You have the largest Jewish settlement in Azerbaijan in a majority Muslim country
02:16where it's just daily life that there is a mosque, there is a church, and there is also a synagogue
02:24next to each other.
02:24So it's not a marketing claim.
02:25This is also what the country really stands for and what we experience in our daily life.
02:31So this European connection at one hand and at the same time being on that edge to the Asian side
02:43is the interesting bridge.
02:45And what I said in this interview is also that with the expanding and peace process
02:53and with the initial peace deal basically signed in Washington last August, this is developing.
03:01This will allow travelers also a multi-country journey and will ease travel, especially for long-haul travelers.
03:10And the South Caucasus as a destination will gain much more recognition than it has now.
03:16I think for me, having been privileged to travel there quite a lot over the last few years,
03:20having that mix of beautiful cities with these vast landscapes that are incredible,
03:26but also what we heard in the last conversation, it is the people that make a place, isn't it?
03:31Absolutely.
03:32So these genuine encounters you have in Azerbaijan, and not only in Baku, there is a lot of stories of
03:37travelers,
03:38but once you go beyond Baku to the regions, there is the beauty,
03:42and this is also where our focus lies for the next years.
03:47There is a lot to discover, there is mountain and winter clusters.
03:52We've partnered with FIS, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, also for the next five years
03:57to bring FIS races and World Cups to Azerbaijan to show how beautiful, how advanced,
04:04and how really amazing the greater Caucasus is not only for hiking, bird watching,
04:09but also for skiing and winter sports.
04:11So invite everyone also, 5th to 7th of March, an exciting 5th World Cup finals in freestyle moguls
04:19and dual moguls in the mountains of Schachtach.
04:21But there is more, there is nature, there is 8 out of 12 climate zones.
04:27You travel from the desert through the semi-desert to the 4,000-meter-high peaks,
04:33and I think that says a lot.
04:36You mentioned earlier, obviously, the F1.
04:40That is, I mean, it's been the biggest week on the Baku calendar.
04:45Beyond the major events, what is happening across the country right now?
04:49What should visitors make sure that they don't want to miss?
04:53You don't want to miss the regions, right?
04:55I think with connectivity and accessibility improving, also from European destinations,
05:01by the way, the good news is Brussels will be connected with four flights a week
05:06starting May 8, 2027 by Azerbaijan Airlines.
05:10So it will be a lot easier also for Belgian travelers to visit Baku and Azerbaijan.
05:17But it's really, it's to travel beyond Baku,
05:20to travel along the Silk Road, through the side valleys,
05:26ancient heritage villages, UNESCO World Heritage Sites,
05:29Sheki, to mention one, an amazing settlement,
05:35a city on the greater Caucasus Mountains with Han palaces,
05:43just beautiful to dive in wineries, a beautiful wine route.
05:47There is a health and wellness cluster,
05:49Naftalan Oil, famous for its indications for skin treatment,
05:55and is there for centuries.
05:58So this is just one, but also for the luxury and traveler, there is a lot to discover.
06:04For you, obviously, I mean, I had the opportunity to hear you at the Azerbaijan Investment Forum,
06:10as I say, last week, when you referred to the new tourism development program.
06:15Can you tell us a little bit more about that?
06:17I think the tourism in Azerbaijan is relatively young, is still negotiated, right?
06:24And I think that is important when we talk about tourism and listening to panelists also this morning,
06:30is it's always how can we advance tourism by not owning all the verticals, right?
06:36Whether this is transportation, energy, and all the others impacting directly on tourism.
06:44So what we've set up is a new state program running until 2030,
06:49and it really supports both sides of this equation, the demand and the supply.
06:57The demand with increasing incentive schemes for charter airlines, for new flight connectivities,
07:06for operators putting Azerbaijan on the global map,
07:09but also on the supply side is to create new quality accommodation, especially in the regions,
07:16in a green building sustainability approach integrated.
07:22It is also supporting new entrepreneurs, micro small entrepreneurs who want to pick up businesses in tourism and recreation zones.
07:31So all this together, plus it tasks the vertical owners of these other elements,
07:38whether this is transportation, whether this is Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Customs,
07:44all part of this smooth travel, smooth customer journey, right, in a destination to basically improve things,
07:54to focus on tourism and to put tourism as the united element in the foreground.
08:01And we are very positive that this approach also, when you link all the stakeholders, right,
08:08in this horizontal of tourism development, this creates really then a lasting impact.
08:15How important is it for you to, you know, develop that tourism business, yet at the same time remain true
08:24to the heritage
08:25and the communities and the people of a country?
08:28Absolutely. That is actually on top of our agenda, whatever we do.
08:32So especially when you go out to regions and you want to have a very livable environment for locals, right?
08:43You want to improve the livelihood of people.
08:45So one of these examples is Pascal Village, which was a beautiful mountain village along the Silk Road,
08:54abandoned mosque from the 14th century, beautiful center also of Kelachai,
09:00which is the silk printing center historically.
09:04All families were engaged in it. It was more or less abandoned.
09:07So what we started is really is like improving the infrastructure, getting people back, moving back to this village.
09:14And now you have basically a village which is a flourishing community.
09:19You have micro-entrepreneurs, you have families who are having small tea houses, you have others serving food,
09:25you have women engaged in silk printing, and it becomes at the same time an experience for travelers.
09:34But most importantly, it is what this village genuinely stands for and basically brought back to life in its origin.
09:45I believe that one of the other things that you're focused on with your team as well is to emphasize
09:50the safety elements of traveling to the South Caucasus.
09:53Why is that imperative for you in driving that tourism business to come to Azerbaijan?
09:59Absolutely. I think, you know, talking about safety and travel and tourism always feels like a personal opinion.
10:08It is seeing the images we have seen on past weekend with the investment conference and with F1 in a
10:16city with, I said, like 17,000 international guests in the city,
10:22with a vibe, with bus, like with amazing, amazing vibes and atmosphere.
10:29It's the best what can prove that Baku and all Azerbaijan is a safe destination to travel.
10:36And culturally, that is also engraved in the people of Azerbaijan that anyone who is visiting, any traveler is on
10:45top of the list.
10:48So it's like everyone will do everything to make a guest and a traveler welcome.
10:53You mentioned a little earlier about four new direct flights from Brussels.
10:59Can you talk to me a little bit more and elaborate on that accessibility issue?
11:04Why it's important to have these travel corridors and direct routes between the South Caucasus and to Europe and beyond?
11:12Absolutely. Baku over the past decade also has established itself as a hub in the region.
11:20Baku Airport, five stars, Skytrax, Azerbaijan Airlines, the best carrier in the region.
11:26And the expansion also of Azerbaijan Airlines and other carriers from Baku to European capitals,
11:34not only but most important now to European capitals, is very important for us also,
11:41to make sure that we are able to invite travelers on a very short route to basically jump on the
11:50plane and come and visit.
11:52I think connectivity and accessibility are the key bottlenecks in tourism, right?
11:57And we see in terms of accessibility globally, a shift back to more electronic travel registrations.
12:05We don't call it any more visa, but we call it a pre-registration form.
12:10So this is not anymore the big element because we are used to, even as European travelers,
12:17to pre-register, to fill out something, pay a few euros or dollars.
12:21So connectivity, really, air accessibility is key in that sense.
12:27And that is what we are looking together also with Azerbaijan Airlines,
12:32who is very lucky to get a lot of new aircrafts delivered these years.
12:37So expansion ahead.
12:39You mentioned the visa that we're not calling visa, but you made it for the F1 weekend.
12:45You made a news announcement to make it a lot easier for visitors to come to the country.
12:50Exactly. For F1 and for also other big events, there is no visa requirement.
12:55Basically, you have a passport, you have a valid ticket, you just jump on a plane and enter the country.
13:02If you could tell us about your secret Azerbaijan, what do we not know?
13:07Where should we be going to?
13:10That's difficult.
13:11I put you on the spot there. You didn't know that.
13:12There is a lot of secret and hidden places and hidden gems.
13:16There is one very, very, very special place in the south of the country.
13:24It is called Sim Village.
13:26It is a fairy tale village.
13:28As you imagine, a fairy tale with a mosque covered, the entire village.
13:32You have these very old, beautiful wooden buildings and structures with balconies.
13:38You have a lot of water running through that village, you have a lot of waterfalls around, and you're close
13:44to Hirkan forest, which was inscribed also in the UNESCO heritage site for unique ecological spaces.
13:55You have an enormous diversity of fauna and flora, and it feels a bit you're in the jungle, but you're
14:04in the middle, you're basically in Azerbaijan.
14:07And this describes also a bit the diversity you can experience once you really go out of the city, dive
14:16into the country, and meet genuinely wonderful, lovely people.
14:22How important is the industry where you are in terms of the local economic contribution?
14:30You know, it is huge.
14:32And where do you see that journey going for Azerbaijan tourism?
14:36Tourism in 2025 in Azerbaijan contributed 7 billion manat, which is roughly 3.5 billion euros, which is 5.4
14:48% of GDP.
14:49In the entire economy and close to 8% in the non-oil sector.
14:56So there is room to go.
14:58And we have put one of our objectives to reach 12 billion manat by 2030, which is an ambitious goal.
15:09But at the same time, not doubling the numbers.
15:13I think this is also a conversation we all have, no?
15:15It's like, is it all about the numbers?
15:17No, it's not.
15:19Our motto is not all about the numbers.
15:21It's about how do you really increase the length of stay?
15:26How do you make people enjoy more of the country during their journey?
15:31And so with visitor numbers roughly below 4 million, the target is set to reach this 12 billion manat by
15:432030.
15:43So a few more travelers, but a higher impact.
15:48When you mention those huge numbers of travelers that are coming, you know, how do you cope with that in
15:53terms of the infrastructure, especially with big cities like Bakun, the big events like we have, like you mentioned, F1.
16:01How do you cope with that?
16:02Infrastructure really has been extremely developed over the past decades.
16:08And many people still remember Eurovision 2011, which was one of the first events.
16:16And since then, there was a lot of them.
16:18COP29, the largest international congress, took place in Baku and really has also made Baku a proven global meetings and
16:31convention hotspot, not only in the region really, but on a global scale.
16:35We see who can host COP in town, basically can host any other meeting and conference.
16:43And I think also it has shown the world that it's not all about luxury and development.
16:53It is also a very genuine experience you can have in local guest houses, in local tea houses, in the
17:02narrow streets of the old town.
17:03So it's a beautiful combination of the very old and the very new.
17:11If you could sum up Azerbaijan in three words, what would it be?
17:14It would be real, warm and uplifting.
17:19Uplifting because Azerbaijan always surprises, positively surprises you.
17:26So it continues to reveal many new sites.
17:30And this is what it still does to me, living there for many, many years and calling it my home.
17:37Warm, because people are warm.
17:39People are just these warmth of people.
17:42We talk a lot about that.
17:43But this is really something, you have been to the Caucasus, you feel the warmth of especially Azerbaijani people.
17:54And real, because it's still genuine, it's intact, development is negotiated, it's not flattened by tourism, it's real.
18:05So, thank you very much.
18:07Thank you very much.