Azernews.Az

Akbar Novruz

Read more

The number of weekly flights from Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport to Baku is planned to increase from 14 to 28, reflecting a sharp rise in interest among Israeli tourists in visiting Azerbaijan, Florian Zengschmidt, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Azerbaijan Tourism Bureau, told The Jerusalem Post, Azernews reports.

Zengschmidt highlighted that Israeli tourist arrivals to Azerbaijan in 2025 increased by about 139% compared with 2024, a surge that has also translated into rising tourism spending—approximately 184 million shekels (around $59 million), an increase of roughly 81% year‑on‑year. Israelis ranked among the top 10 foreign tourists visiting Baku in 2025.

Broader tourism trends (2022–2025):

• 2025: Approximately 60,000 Israeli tourists visited Azerbaijan last year, as confirmed by Israeli officials, underlining continued growth in bilateral travel ties.

• 2024: Tourism data show that arrivals from Israel were expanding sharply as Azerbaijan boosted air connectivity and promoted cultural and tourism links, though exact annual totals for 2024 by nationality have varied by reporting source.

• 2023: In 2023, the number of Israeli visitors entering Azerbaijan through e‑visa statistics was about 29,158, up from the preceding year, reflecting continued growth in tourism ties.

• 2022: In 2022, around 23,935 visitors from Israel came to Azerbaijan—approximately four times the number from the previous year—partly driven by expanding direct air links and tourism promotion.

Officials attribute the tourism boom to Azerbaijan’s unique blend of cultural heritage, modern infrastructure, and strategic outreach, including opening its first tourism office in Tel Aviv in 2022 and strengthening marketing efforts. With the planned flight increase to 28 weekly services, authorities aim to further support the growing travel demand and deepen people‑to‑people connections between the two countries.