Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have joined forces to promote a Silk Road Highlights Tour in Europe. The Azerbaijan Tourism Board and Uzbekistan’s National PR Centre are setting up a B2B roadshow to showcase the new tour, which offers travellers a vivid immersion into the breathtaking historical and cultural heritage of the ancient Silk Road across both nations.
Scheduled for 13 to 24 October 2025 in Barcelona, Budapest, Frankfurt, Prague, Vienna, and Zurich, the initiative will bring together 20 trade representatives from Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. National carriers such as Azerbaijan Airlines and Uzbekistan Airways, alongside hotel chains and inbound destination management companies (DMCs), will participate in these European roadshows.
The Silk Road Highlights Tour links Baku, Shamakhi, and Sheki in Azerbaijan with Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand in Uzbekistan, delivering an enriching experience for adventure seekers to explore the region’s vibrant heritage. Tourists will have the opportunity to tap into Baku’s modernity, juxtaposed with its ancient Old City and Shamakhi’s historic mosques, while Uzbekistan’s UNESCO-listed cities offer timeless Silk Road treasures like Samarkand’s Registan Square.
To solidify the collaboration, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalise their long-term tourism partnership. Furthermore, they intend to establish a unified brand and introduce new tour packages for the Silk Road Highlights Tour.
Set for late 2025, the European roadshows are seen as a prime example of regional cooperation. The initiative frames Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan as interconnected destinations that reimagine the Silk Road as a dynamic modern journey rather than a mere historical event.
To promote this initiative, the two countries are not only holding B2B roadshows in major European cities but also launching media campaigns and hosting webinars. They’ve also established the Silk Road Tourism Expert Club, which is set to bring together tourism leaders from both countries to collaborate on future projects.
To further attract global visitors, Uzbekistan introduced a 30-day visa-free travel scheme for US tourists, making it easier for Americans to explore its heritage. Uzbekistan is aiming to attract 15 million tourists by 2030, and its policy of offering more visa-free travel is a key part of the plan. Similarly, Azerbaijan is improving its appeal by allowing Chinese citizens to enter the country visa-free for one year, fostering stronger cultural and tourism ties between the two nations.
