BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 7
By Ilhama Isabalayeva – Trend:
One of the priority spheres in the field of inbound tourism in Azerbaijan is the Chinese market, Member of the Council of Experts of the Azerbaijani Association of Travel Agencies Kanan Khanifayev told Trend on Feb. 7.
“An increase in the number of Chinese tourists was predicted in the goals set for 2020,” Khanifayev added.
"Despite difficulties in the implementation of these plans, we are trying to attract tourists from alternative destinations due to coronavirus,” the member of the Council of Experts said. “We hope that thanks to Novruz holiday, Formula 1 and UEFA EURO in Baku, we will achieve our goals to expand the tourist flow."
Khanifayev added that the operations of foreign airlines in Baku will create conditions for travel agencies to develop tours from other destinations.
China is one of the main priority markets for attracting tourists to Azerbaijan.
The State Tourism Agency stated in 2019 that numerous tourists from China will visit Azerbaijan.
In accordance with the "Memorandum of Understanding on the facilitation of group trips of Chinese tourists to Azerbaijan", signed last year between the Azerbaijani State Tourism Agency and the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the number of Chinese tourists who will come to Azerbaijan may reach 200,000 persons in the coming years.