You can feel the vibrancy all around you

Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, bounded by the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains, is transforming at a mighty rate. Being oil-rich, the ex-Soviet republic makes healthy petroleum revenues and is able to plough a good proportion into developing the city and investing in new tourism initiatives.

The European Games came to the city in 2015, Eurovision in 2012. Underlining the oil theme, it has hosted a number of motor races, such as in 2013, the finale of the FIA GT Championship, the Baku World Challenge, the Blancpain Sprint Series in 2014, and the 2016 European Grand Prix and its supporting events.

Infrastructure is being upgraded, while high-level golf clubs and ski and holiday resorts are emerging. One, Shakhdag, which opened in 2012, will soon accommodate 10'000 tourists alone. The government is prioritising touristic development in the country, spurred on by a need to diversify revenue streams following the decline in oil prices over the last couple of years.

Baku, the largest city on the Caspian Sea, has an illustrious history: Alexander the Great travelled here to confer with kings, while when Marco Polo passed through here, he marvelled at how even then oil, now the key to this strategic region, was “not used for food, but as a fuel.”

It combines the historic with the modern

Baku is a city that's changing: as you walk through the streets you can feel the vibrancy all around you. Notable sights include the stunning Heydar Aliyev Center, a free-form structure by the late Zaha Hadid, and the Baku Flame Towers that dominate the skyline to the avenues of new shops, restaurants and hotels. The architecture is special because it combines the historic with the modern; and also the East with the West, from the Zoroastrian temples to art nouveau buildings and the French townhouses of the early 20th century oil boom.

The 6th century Old Town is a must, and is a World Heritage site. There are beach resorts a 30-minute drive away, and Gobustan National Park with more than 6000 ancient rock engravings, and 700 stunning mud volcanoes.

Baku’s bid to to be noticed is certainly working: for example Heydar Aliyev International Airport serviced 391'000 passengers this July, 27% more passengers than the same period last year.

In January to June of 2016, 972'000 tourists came to the country, with a large proportion from Russia, Iran, Turkey and Arab countries.

Tehran and Baku are cooperating in the tourism sector, which has led to the number of flights made between Iran and Azerbaijan significantly increasing. Iranian flights are currently bringing in around 1350 tourists from that country to Azerbaijan each week.

Baku is hosting Tourism Cases Forum, a new tourism event for the country, on September 27. It will be attended by national travel agencies, representatives of hotels and other representatives in the tourism sphere, focusing on different topics related to the current Azerbaijan tourism market, its weaknesses and how to develop and strengthen it.

Accommodation is available from $25 in hotels

Much of Azerbaijan remains virtually untouched by tourism yet  has great scope for raising visitor numbers, from exploiting its beaches of the Caspian Sea to building tours of the Azerbaijan section of the Great Silk Road, the caravan road that has been the main trading route between east and west since around 206BC-220AD.

Culture vultures will especially appreciate Baku’s ancient towers, temples, the pearl of Azerbaijani architecture, Shirvanshahs Palace, the acropolis Icherishehir, Gobustan and Gabala, capital of the ancient Alban Kingdom. Sunny weather persists until the end of September, a further boon to encouraging tourists.

Today, there are about 570 accommodation facilities and 300 travel agencies in Azerbaijan. Accommodation costs for foreign visitors became more attractive in 2015 due to the devaluation of the national currency, and accommodation is available in hostels from just $7 per night and from $25 in hotels.

To further move tourism to a new level, the president, Ilham Aliyev, has signed a decree on additional measures for developing tourism in the country. The state will finance certain activities, including creating a Tourism Registry and holding an annual Shopping Festival in Baku, with the provision of retail sales tax benefits during te festival. There are also proposals for developing beach tourism and more effective use of the Caspian coast.