12:33 - 25.02.2019

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February 25, Fineko/abc.az. Russians are not familiar with the tourism opportunities of Azerbaijan, the country has huge potential in the Russian market.

The statement was made at a media conference by Florian Zengstshmid, director general of the Azerbaijan Tourism Bureau.

"We believe Russian tourists are not very familiar with the possibilities of Azerbaijan. It has a huge potential in the Russian market," he said.

Mr. Zengstshmid noted that transport links between Russia and Azerbaijan are well developed, in particular, there are direct flights from Moscow and other Russian cities, and the flight takes only three hours — so tourists can come for the weekend.

"Besides, there is no language barrier. Everyone in Azerbaijan speaks Russian very well and will give you a warm welcome. Visa is not required, and the prices are very competitive," he stressed.

Mr. Zengstshmid recalled that in 2019 Azerbaijan will host two major events — F1 Grand Prix and the final of the UEFA Europa League. He added that the country always attracts tourists with a huge number of UNESCO sites, which include local cuisine, dances and crafts.

He specified that almost 900,000 Russian tourists visited Azerbaijan in 2018, and this indicator is almost 5% more than a year earlier.

"According to magazine National Geographic, last year Azerbaijan became one of the three most popular destinations for Russian travelers," Bureau’s director general said.

Earlier it was reported that 2.8 million foreign tourists visited Azerbaijan in 2018 that is by 6% more than against 2017. Spending by tourists exceeded $2 billion.