Despite ongoing regional conflicts that have disrupted air travel to and from Israel, the number of Israeli tourists visiting Azerbaijan surged by 139% in 2025 compared to 2024, according to Florian Sengstschmid, CEO of the Azerbaijan Tourism Board and chief adviser to the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post on Monday, Sengstschmid said Israeli visitors spent NIS 184 million (approximately $59 million) in Azerbaijan last year—an 81% increase year-on-year, marking the fastest growth in tourist spending among all foreign nationalities visiting the country. Israelis are now among the top ten nationalities traveling to Baku.
Interest in Azerbaijan’s capital has been steadily rising, particularly since the opening of Azerbaijan’s first overseas Tourism Board office in Tel Aviv in 2022. Located along the Caspian Sea, Baku has increasingly positioned itself as an attractive destination for Israeli travelers.
With demand continuing to grow, Sengstschmid noted that plans are underway to double the number of weekly direct flights between Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport and Baku—from 14 to 28 flights per week—to accommodate rising passenger volumes.
