Azerbaijan is aiming to make China one of its top three tourism source markets within the next five years, a goal underscored by the opening of the Azerbaijan Tourism Board's first China office in Beijing in late May.
The move reflects the country's growing confidence in the Chinese outbound travel market and its determination to build closer ties with Chinese travelers, travel companies and media partners as visitor numbers continue to rise.
"We have been very active in China for the past six or seven years, promoting Azerbaijan through roadshows, exhibitions and industry events," says Florian Sengstschmid, chief executive officer of the Azerbaijan Tourism Board.
"We felt this was the right moment to move from working remotely to having a physical presence here. It shows our commitment to the Chinese market."
The new office is intended to serve as more than a marketing outpost. Sengstschmid envisions it as a platform for people-to-people exchanges and industry collaboration.
"We want this office to be a place where people meet," he says."We want to invite travel partners, journalists, bloggers, and business leaders to exchange ideas and explore opportunities between Azerbaijan and China."
The visa waiver agreement between China and Azerbaijan has been in effect since July 16,2025, meaning Chinese citizens holding valid ordinary passports can now enter Azerbaijan visa-free and stay up to 30 days per visit, with no more than 90 days within any 180-day period. In 2024, Azerbaijan had already introduced a one-year unilateral visa-free trial for Chinese visitors.
China has become one of Azerbaijan's fastest-growing tourism source markets. The country welcomed 63,500 Chinese visitors in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 41.7 percent, according to the tourism board. From January to April this year, arrivals from China exceeded 14,300, maintaining strong growth momentum.
Fuad Naghiyev, chairman of the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, emphasizes that the establishment of the Beijing office reflects Azerbaijan's strategic focus on the Chinese market. He notes that improved air connectivity and visa facilitation have supported steady growth in bilateral tourism flows.
For Azerbaijan, the significance of China extends beyond numbers.
"China is the world's largest outbound travel market and has held that position for many years," Sengstschmid says. "For many Chinese travelers, Azerbaijan is still a relatively new destination, which means there is tremendous potential."
