TEHRAN – The Republic of Azerbaijan has offered facilities for Iranian tour operators in a bid to widen travel businesses in the northern neighbor.

Bunyad Huseynov, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Tehran, encouraged some 350 Iranian tour operators to schedule tours of rural areas and take advantage of international festivals, sports events, and tax-free policies adopted in Azerbaijan.

The ties between the two neighboring countries have considerably improved over the past couple of years, Azernews quoted Huseynov, addressing a Tehran tourism conference on Thursday.

He also briefed attendees on ASAN Visa system, a newly-implemented visa simplification program that enables easy travels for Iranians and citizens from other countries.

By the means of the ASAN Visa, Iranian citizens have been able to obtain Azerbaijan visas within three days. 

Some 46,000 Iranian holidaymakers visited Azerbaijan during Noruz, the Iranian New Year celebrations, said Adalat Veliyev, the deputy culture and tourism minister of Azerbaijan, back in April.

PHOTO: Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah’s Palace and Maiden Tower in the foreground. The UNESCO-registered site is amongst key tourist attractions in Azerbaijan.

AFM/MG