06 Nov 2026
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On 6 November, Fuad Naghiyev, Chairman of the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, met with Wang Zhiqing, Chairman of China Eastern Airlines, in Shanghai to discuss the airline’s potential launch of flights to Azerbaijan and opportunities to strengthen air connectivity and tourism ties between the two countries.
The meeting was also attended by Teymur Hasanov, Director of Heydar Aliyev International Airport; Florian Sengstschmid, CEO of Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB); and Rashad Aliyev, Deputy CEO of ATB.
Mr.Fuad Naghiyev highlighted the strong strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and China, noting that China remains one of Azerbaijan’s priority tourism markets. He outlined the country’s promotional activities in China, including Office of ATB in Beijing, partnerships with leading travel platforms and marketing campaigns across Chinese digital channels. He also expressed the State Tourism Agency’s readiness to support China Eastern Airlines’ potential operations through available state subsidy mechanisms, airport incentives and joint marketing initiatives.
Mr. Wang Zhiqing stated that the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Azerbaijan provides a solid foundation for bilateral cooperation in civil aviation, culture and tourism. He noted that the steady growth in economic and trade relations, together with the implementation of the mutual visa-free travel arrangement, has created further opportunities for the expansion of the aviation market. Highlighting the market potential and development prospects of a direct Shanghai-Baku route, he expressed China Eastern Airlines’ interest in strengthening cooperation with the State Tourism Agency to develop cultural tourism and increase passenger traffic between the two countries.
As part of these efforts, Azerbaijan’s tourism potential has been promoted since 2026 across major Chinese social media platforms, including Weibo, WeChat, Douyin, RedNote, and Bilibili. Regular advertising campaigns showcasing the country’s tourism offering have also been placed on leading Chinese travel platforms, including CTRIP.com, TongCheng and Fliggy, as well as Youku, a major Chinese TV streaming platform.
The office of ATB in Beijing has been operating since 29 May 2026. Under the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on Mutual Visa Exemption for Holders of Ordinary Passports, signed on 23 April 2025, Chinese citizens can travel to Azerbaijan visa-free.
Currently, AZAL operates three weekly direct flights between Baku and Beijing, while China Southern Airlines operates five weekly direct flights between Baku and Urumqi.
China is an increasingly important source market for Azerbaijan. In 2025, the number of visitors from China to Azerbaijan reached 63,500, marking a 41.7% increase compared with 2024. From January to October 2026, arrivals totalled 61,001, up 7% compared with the same period last year.
