The Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB) officially opened its representative office in Istanbul on December 9.

The opening ceremony was attended by Fuad Naghiyev, Chairman of the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan; Narmin Mustafayeva, Consul General of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Istanbul; Florian Sengstschmid, CEO of the Azerbaijan Tourism Board; as well as representatives from the tourism sector and media from both Türkiye and Azerbaijan.

In his remarks, Fuad Naghiyev noted that the opening of the representative office marks a new phase in bilateral cooperation, providing a structured and effective platform for promoting Azerbaijan’s tourism brand in Türkiye. He highlighted that Turkish visitors’ interest in Azerbaijan has steadily increased, with Turkish citizens ranking second among all foreign visitors to Azerbaijan over the past five years.

The event included a cultural program where participants discussed future cooperation and ways to further strengthen tourism relations between the two countries. The evening concluded with musical performances by renowned Azerbaijani pianist and composer Isfar Sarabski.

The Istanbul office will enhance collaboration with the Turkish tourism industry, oversee marketing and media campaigns, organize events, and engage with travel agencies and media outlets to promote Azerbaijan’s diverse tourism offerings.

Turkish citizens can travel to Azerbaijan using their national ID cards, and regular flights operated by AZAL and various Turkish airlines have contributed to a threefold increase in visitors from Türkiye between 2020 and 2024.