Azerbaijan has launched a tourism drive aimed specifically at the Middle Eastern market.
The Azerbaijan Ministry of Culture and Tourism released a report into the number of UAE tourists into the country over the initial six months of the year. The country was visited by an overall number of 1,199,667 foreign citizens, 24.5% more people compared to the same period last year (2016).
Supported by expansion in key markets, UAE and Saudi Arabia drove the volumes and set the stage for a healthy first half result. This period saw a 338 per cent growth in overnight tourists from UAE with March alone peaking at an impressive 86 per cent while attracting 44,196 UAE visitors.
Rashid Al Noori, chairman of the Representative Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan in the GCC said: “The appeal of Azerbaijan as the happening travel destination for the Arab traveller continues to grow because of the proximity to home, great culture, awesome nature, halal food and similarity in cultures that encourages free worship with holidays such as Eid and other festivals of the Arab traveller.”
