Azerbaijan is eyeing new target markets in Asia, setting its sights firmly on Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and China.
“We see great potential in Asia, and especially great potential in growing the Chinese market,” said Teymur Suleymanzada, deputy CEO of Azerbaijan Tourism Board.
He added that the destination recently opened a representative office in China.
In 2025, the country saw a 40 per cent year-on-year increase in arrivals from China, as well as a 36 per cent year-on-year rise in arrivals from Malaysia.
While there are direct flights connecting Azerbaijan with China, Azerbaijan’s ability to tap fully into Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia is hampered by the lack of seamless air connectivity.
“We believe that air connectivity is one of the driving tools that will enable more visitors from these countries,” he said, adding that talks are taking place to establish a direct route from Malaysia to Azerbaijan.
Suleymanzada told TTG Asia that Azerbaijan Tourism Board has launched marketing campaigns to position the country as an official Umrah Plus stopover hub for religious tourists, which will appeal to Muslim pilgrims.
“We want to become an active part of Umrah Plus and are looking to expand this project in the future,” he said.
While Azerbaijan is a majority Muslim country, it is secular. It ranks 27th out of 150 destinations globally in the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index 2026, achieving an overall score of 58 out of 100 as a Muslim-friendly travel destination.
Suleymanzada also sees potential in building interest through Azerbaijan’s role in the historical Great Silk Road. For over 2,000 years, Azerbaijan sat at the crossroads of the most important trade route that linked China and India to Europe.
He noted that attractions – such as the UNESCO-listed mountain town of Shaki, Karvansaray and Khansaray – on the Great Silk Road are presently very popular with Chinese tourists.
“We have so many things in common,” he remarked.
