Azerbaijan tourism board sets sights on doubling visitors in five years

For many countries, tourism is an essential industry, driving economies and supplying revenue and jobs for thousands of its inhabitants. Azerbaijan, which was formerly a part of the enormous Soviet Union, has recently begun to reap these benefits to a very high degree.

In 2017, Azerbaijan enjoyed receiving $1.3 bn dollars in spending from tourists, which catapulted it to a spot among the most rapidly growing destinations in the industry. The Azerbaijan Tourism Board has its sights set on far higher numbers, however, as it aims to double the amount of people visiting the country by 2023. To accomplish this lofty goal, it has implemented a new tool branded the ‘reveal lens’, which is coupled with their slogan, ‘Take Another Look’.

The Azerbaijan Tourism Board says these marketing tools effectively align with and promote Azerbaijan’s identity as a nation, reflecting one of its most enticing strengths - eclecticism. The reveal lens, which is composed of a half circle overlapping a full circle, plays to this theme heavily on the board’s website. It often contrasts two opposing locations’ images to showcase the breadth of potential experiences available to a visitor, such as a lush summer landscape and immaculately white ski slopes.

 The slogan encapsulates Azerbaijan’s status as an up-and-comer, because despite the recent success, they still must compete with the world’s most established tourism hubs. If a tourist is willing to ‘Take Another Look’ and seek out destinations that aren’t immediately recognisable, the board is says they will find a wealth of amazing opportunities in the country which otherwise would have been passed over.

This branding commitment to diversity is overarching on the Azerbaijan Tourism Board’s website beyond just the new logo and slogan, as upon visiting the website’s ‘Discover’ tab, the user is greeted with a whopping 10 options of activity categories to choose from, ranging from gastronomy to shopping, and nature to beach rest. It is clear the board is convinced if users open their minds, the possibilities in Azerbaijan are endless.