Azerbaijan’s appeal as a leisure destination is expected to get a further boost with the visa-free entry of Qatar citizens and residents to the South-Eastern European country, ambassador Rashad Ismayilov has said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the opening of the Azerbaijan section at the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani (FBQ) Museum Wednesday, the envoy stressed that Azerbaijan is expected to receive more visitors from Qatar with the latest update on visa exemptions.
He noted that an agreement on mutual exemption from entry visa requirements for ordinary passport holders between Qatar and Azerbaijan was signed by HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku last year.
According to Ismayilov, Azerbaijan offers an array of popular tourist spots not only during the summer but also in the winter season. It is nearly three hours away from Doha via a Qatar Airways flight.
He said fully vaccinated travellers can take advantage of the quarantine-free entry to Baku, and the daily flights between the two cities.
Azerbaijan, Ismayilov added, remains to be a popular leisure destination for Qatar visitors, as well as people from the Gulf region, witnessing a huge number of tourists in previous years especially before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The envoy also sees Qatar’s tourism sector booming with the hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, taking place from Nov 21 to Dec 18.
Ismayilov said that many football fans in Azerbaijan are expected to visit Qatar and watch the games in the prestigious tournament, which will take place for the first time in the Middle East.
He stressed that Qatar has been successful in hosting major sports tournaments – from football to tennis, athletics, swimming, table tennis, and billiards, among others – attracting many players and fans from various parts of the world.
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