Organized by the Saint Petersburg City Tourist Information Bureau, the roadshow - “Welcome to Saint Petersburg” has been held in Baku.

Speaking at the event, Director of the Saint Petersburg City Tourist Information Bureau Yuri Bogdanov highlighted the longstanding ties of friendship between the two cities, noting a rapid increase in number of Azerbaijani tourists visiting St. Petersburg.

Advisor to the Chairman of the Association of Travel Agencies Rufat Hajiyev emphasized that up to 900-920 thousand Azerbaijanis visited Russia from 2017 to 2020. He noted that 230 thousand Azerbaijanis visited Russia during the pandemic period, adding that this number decreased to 200 thousand people in 2021. “However, we see a positive tendency - 200 thousand people have already visited Russia as of August this year, with the number expected to reach 300 thousand by the end of 2022,” Hajiyev mentioned.

Saying that Azerbaijan ranks 14th in terms of tourist influx to Russia, the country’s Trade Representative in Azerbaijan Ruslan Mirsayapov said: “Our mission is to place Azerbaijan into top 10 touristic destinations list for Russian tourists. The government of the Russian Federation attaches great importance to the development of tourism, with St. Petersburg being a magnet for tourists around the world.”

The event also highlighted the tourism potential of Russia’s Northern Capital, including its famous landmarks, public places, as well as unique interregional routes