Azerbaijan has opened a tourism board office in Beijing, planting a permanent foothold in its fastest-growing inbound market just as a mutual visa-free regime and direct flights pull more Chinese travellers towards the Caspian. For tour operators, carriers and DMOs chasing Chinese outbound demand, the move signals that a small destination is willing to spend on a year-round China presence rather than rely on trade-show visits, and it raises the competitive bar for rivals courting the same visitors at a moment when Beijing is loosening entry rules across Eurasia.
The Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB) held the official opening of its Beijing office on May 29, marking a further expansion of the country’s tourism presence in China. The board said the office is intended to deepen cooperation with the Chinese travel industry, raise awareness of Azerbaijan’s offerings and widen promotional activity across the market.
Fuad Naghiyev, chairman of the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, said the Beijing office pointed to the strategic weight Azerbaijan places on the Chinese market. He said tourism cooperation between the two countries had advanced strongly in recent years, with direct flights and a visa-free regime adding momentum, and that the office would play a central role in promoting the country more effectively to Chinese travellers.
The opening was attended by Teymur Nadiroghlu, trade representative of Azerbaijan in China, ATB chief executive officer Florian Sengstschmid, embassy officials and figures from the Chinese and Azerbaijani tourism industry and media. The evening closed with a dinner featuring the Azerbaijani jazz pianist and composer Emil Afrasiyab.
The office opens off the back of fast-rising arrivals. Some 44,798 Chinese tourists visited Azerbaijan in 2024, double the 2023 figure, with arrivals between January and October 2025 topping 57,000, a 49% year-on-year rise. The surge has been driven largely by the easing of visa rules.
Azerbaijan first waived visas for Chinese citizens starting July 2024, then signed a mutual visa-exemption agreement with Beijing on April 23, 2025, during President Ilham Aliyev’s state visit. Azerbaijan Airlines operates direct services from Baku to Beijing and Urumqi, with a route to Xi’an under consideration.
What it means for the sector
Azerbaijan is competing for Chinese travellers at a moment when Beijing is loosening entry rules across Eurasia and the Gulf, sharpening the contest for outbound spend. The ATB took part in the Envision 2026 Global Conference hosted by Trip.com on May 28, where Azerbaijan was named “Strategic Destination Partner of the Year” for its work with the platform.
The board has spent the past two years building Chinese-language reach through WeChat, Weibo, Qunar, Trip.com, Fliggy, Douyin and Little Red Book, alongside blogger trips and a guide-training programme run with the Confucius Institute to prepare Mandarin-speaking guides for Baku and the regions.