Tourism relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan continue to flourish, with discussions held on July 4 between Fuad Nagiyev, Chairman of the State Tourism Agency, and Sajid Hussain Turi, the Minister of Work and Human Resources Development of Pakistan.

During this meeting, the parties discussed the opportunities to further expand and enhance tourism relations between the two countries. Chairman Fuad Naghiyev highlighted the recent increase in the number of visitors from Pakistan and expressed the Agency's commitment to continuing promotional activities. These activities will include participation in international tourism exhibitions held in Pakistan to showcase Azerbaijan's tourism offerings and attract more Pakistani tourists.

Minister Sajid Hussain Turi emphasized Pakistan's interest in developing tourism relations with Azerbaijan and expressed a keen interest in exchanging experiences across various types of tourism, particularly in the realm of mountain tourism.

The meeting also covered plans for promotional and publicity events aimed at boosting mutual tourist exchanges between the two nations. Additionally, discussions included the organization of informational tours for delegations of bloggers and media representatives and the exploration of options to increase the number of direct flights connecting the two countries.

Currently, there are two direct flights per week from Lahore, Pakistan to Baku.

It is noteworthy that Pakistan is among the target markets that have experienced a full recovery in visitor numbers after the pandemic. According to 2022 statistics, Pakistan ranked 7th with 51,700 visitors to Azerbaijan. In the first five months of 2023, there has been a remarkable 23% increase in the number of visitors from Pakistan compared to the same period in 2019, and a significant 43% increase compared to the same period in 2022.