Can You Experience Authentic Azerbaijani Culture, Cuisine, and Heritage in One Trip from Seoul to Baku with Azerbaijan Airlines?

Between June 5–8, 2025, the Seoul International Travel Fair (SITF) welcomed close to 150,000 travel professionals and tourists from Asia and beyond. Amid the crowds, one pavilion drew particular attention: Azerbaijan, represented by its national tourism board, Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), and five local industry operators. With its vibrant displays of cultural heritage, culinary delights, and eco-tourism potential, the country forged a memorable impact on the Korean travel market.

Beyond colorful menus and traditional performances, Azerbaijan made headlines by spotlighting two transformative regions: Karabakh and East Zangezur. No longer just conflict zones, these territories are being reshaped into destinations – terrain-rich in history, nature, and adventure. Azerbaijan’s campaign, framed by the “Year of the Constitution and Sovereignty”, introduced visitors to Karabakh’s archaeological treasures and East Zangezur’s dramatic landscapes.

Support from Ambassador Ramin Hasanov during his stand visit underscored the diplomatic weight behind Azerbaijan’s tourism ambitions. Meanwhile, AZAL announced a summer direct flight between Baku and Seoul, enabling smoother travel with planned weekly flights until mid‑July. This development, paired with ATB’s strategic roadshows, aims at turning conversation into bookings.

By aligning heritage conservation, sustained infrastructure, and innovative connectivity, Azerbaijan is declaring its intent: to be the rising star of Caucasus tourism. At a pivotal moment, this showcase marks a powerful shift—Azerbaijan no longer waits for travelers; it invites them with vision, depth, and open arms.

Azerbaijan at SITF 2025: Strategy & Highlights

A Curated National Showcase

SITF, one of South Korea’s largest travel expos, serves as a dynamic hub for industry networking, trend discovery, and destination branding. Azerbaijan leveraged this platform by presenting a multi-sensory pavilion featuring:

• Traditional music and dance performances
• Samples of national cuisine like plov, dolma, and Azerbaijani tea
• Visuals spotlighting eco-tourism paths, mountainscapes, and nature trails

Led by the Azerbaijan Tourism Board, this immersive stand marked a shift from brochures to experience-led storytelling, setting Azerbaijan apart in a packed Asian travel market.

Unveiling Karabakh & East Zangezur

Azerbaijan dedicated significant attention to its liberated regions:

• Karabakh is emerging from decades of conflict with its restored mosques, ancient rock art, and archaeological heritage. It is now being branded as a post-conflict dark heritage experience
• East Zangezur offers unspoiled valleys, waterfalls, and hiking trails—the focus of recent eco-tourism development by the Confederation of Entrepreneurs

This bold emphasis signals a new chapter: from conflict to cultural reconnection, inviting travelers to bear witness to transformation, resilience, and ecological wonders

Team Spirit with AZAL & Local Operators

Azerbaijan’s national carrier, Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), played a dual promotional and practical role. The airline:

• Promoted its flagship offering on the pavilion floor
• Announced weekly direct flights between Baku–Seoul until mid‑July 2025
• Underlined its credentials with Skytrax Best Regional Airline awards and recent scheduled flights to Karabakh’s Fuzuli airport

This airline connectivity transforms abstract interest into travel confidence—a crucial step toward conversion in tourism marketing

Diplomatic Momentum

Ambassador Ramin Hasanov visited the Azerbaijani pavilion, reinforcing the event’s importance to bilateral relations and tourism diplomacy. Azerbaijan–South Korea relations, established in 1992, have matured into peaceful cooperation in tech, culture, and travel trade. The ambassador’s presence elevated the pavilion from mere commercial display to a symbol of partnership

Driving Tourism Forward: Actions & Outcomes

Connectivity: Flights That Open Doors

AZAL’s new Baku–Seoul route is a key conversion tool. The weekly flight:

• Drops travel time and cost barriers
• Aligns with peak summer season (May–July 2025)
• Offers travelers premium cabin options on Boeing 787s

Coupled with ATB’s pavilion presence, this initiative promises immediate Seoul–Baku ticket sales and deeper exploratory bookings

Market Insight: What Koreans Want

South Korea’s outbound travelers are discerning; they value cultural authenticity, natural beauty, and Instagram-able discovery. Azerbaijan’s pavilion offered:

• Culinary demonstrations that feed off Seoul’s vibrant gastronomy culture
• Whispers of ancient traditions combined with modern energy
• Trails for hiking, camping, and eco-experience—aligned with Korean adventure travel trends

Azerbaijan’s offerings hit all the right notes, capturing traveler attention and media interest alike

Heritage Restoration & Dark Tourism Potential

Karabakh and East Zangezur are now redefining the concept of dark tourism—where history, memory, and healing merge for travelers. Tourism groups like NomadMania have toured these regions, signaling rising interest in heritage, archaeology, and post-conflict recovery

The pavilion’s storytelling—blending tragedy with hope, history with rebirth—resonates deeply in a travel era marked by purpose and meaning

Next Act: Turning Interest into Itineraries

Infrastructure, Hospitality & Training

To convert interest into visits, Azerbaijan is doubling down on:

• Hotel restoration (e.g., in Shusha) and new eco-lodges
• Tour guide training in Korean and English
• Curated travel packages: cultural, culinary, adventure, festival-based

Local operators at SITF discussed partnerships to showcase Shusha music festivals, Karabakh heritage walks, and East Zangezur hiking packages

Monitoring Success

Success won’t be measured by tourist volume alone, but by:

• Growth in Korean tourist arrivals to Azerbaijan
• Uptake of Karabakh/East Zangezur packages
• Flight occupancy: how many take the weekly Baku–Seoul service
• Visitors’ average length of stay and spending insight
• Rebooking and loyalty rates, ideally captured via AZAL’s Miles program

Initial performance indicators will guide expansion, signaling when to scale flights, accommodation, or itineraries

Long-Term Vision

Azerbaijan is aiming for a layered tourism ecosystem:

• Digital engagement: campaigns in Korean social media, festival livestreams
• Cultural diplomacy: ongoing collaborations—dance ensembles, food exchanges, arts residencies in South Korea
• Multilingual infrastructure: signage, apps, guidebooks that speak Korean

This is a multi-year play, with partnerships at its core—between government, carrier, operators, and destination managers

Conclusion: Azerbaijan’s Cultural Conversation with Korea

Azerbaijan’s presence at SITF 2025 signals a bold pivot. It’s not simply pitching another holiday spot—it’s weaving culture, nature, heritage, and diplomacy into a collaborative travel narrative

With AZAL flights, ATB storytelling, and a bold focus on Karabakh & East Zangezur, Azerbaijan is translating tourism ambition into action. South Korean travellers will no longer just read about Azerbaijan—they’ll land in Baku’s airport, walk its mountain trails in Shusha, taste its plov, and hear its music echoing through restored mosques

At a time when travelers want connection, remaking, and authenticity, Azerbaijan is inviting them into its evolving story. And this July, the skies between Seoul and Baku will tell more than just a flight path—they’ll chart a route of curiosity, discovery, and cultural exchange