Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have taken their shared Silk Road heritage on tour. The Highlights of the Silk Road 2026 roadshow visited Berlin, Munich, Stockholm and Helsinki between 19 and 22 October, presenting both countries to European travel companies as a single, combined destination.
The roadshow was organised jointly by the Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB) and Uzbekistan’s National PR Center, under a memorandum of understanding between the two organisations.
Four cities, four days
The programme opened in Berlin on 19 October, moved to Munich on 20 October and Stockholm on 21 October, and closed in Helsinki on 22 October. At each stop, around 50 travel trade representatives met the delegations in business-to-business sessions.
About 15 industry partners from the two countries took part, including six Azerbaijani destination management companies. Airlines were part of the pitch too: Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) joined in Berlin, Turkish Airlines in Berlin and Munich, while Uzbekistan Airways and Centrum Air attended all four events. Traditional Azerbaijani and Uzbek music and dance performances accompanied the presentations.
One trip, two countries
The main idea is simple. Instead of selling Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan as separate holidays, the organisers want European tour operators to build itineraries that cover both. A traveller could start with Baku’s Old City, the mountain villages of the Greater Caucasus and Sheki’s caravanserais, then continue to Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva.
Germany is a logical place to start. In January–August 2026, 17,529 visitors came to Azerbaijan from Germany, up 13.8% year on year, making it the largest Western European market. Arrivals from Sweden grew 10.1% and from Finland 7.3%, although from much smaller bases.
Whether the roadshow turns into new tours will depend on what matters most to tour operators: flight connections, travel time between the two countries and prices.
