With the presence of Azerbaijani visitors, Greek tourism is enriched for the first time in 2025, and in fact, with Crete as their “gateway”, as the first direct charter flights that started in June 2025 with Baku have a destination of Heraklion Airport.
Behind the opening of this new, promising market is Pasha Travel, one of the leading tourism organizations in Azerbaijan, which spread its “wings” for our country with the support of the Danaos group as its exclusive partner in Greece.
The flights take place every Saturday, for the period from June 7 to September 6, 2025, through the state-owned airline Azerbaijan Airlines, offering both economy and business class seats.
As part of their collaboration, Danaos Travel, in collaboration with Pasha Travel, organized a week-long fam trip to Crete in June for leading tour operators from Azerbaijan. Participants had the opportunity to experience authentic Cretan hospitality, visit selected hotels, and enjoy a day trip to Santorini. The trip provided valuable insights into the diversification of Cretan hospitality and strengthened the cooperation between the two companies for the future.
Why the Azerbaijani market is “opening” with Crete
The choice of Crete as the first destination in Greece for the opening of the Azerbaijani market was not accidental. As Pasha Travel CEO Bahruz Asgarov told Tornos News during the ITB Berlin exhibition, Crete was chosen as an ideal destination for the first charters in Greece, as it has a particularly attractive mix of features that meet the demands of tourists from Azerbaijan, with history, culture, stunning beaches, incredible nightlife and gastronomy.
“I believe that it will be an amazing opportunity for tourism between Azerbaijan and Greece, as well as the greater rapprochement between the two peoples, and the offer of a new opportunity for Azerbaijanis to explore a new destination,” said Mr. Asgarov.
At the same time, Pasha Travel also offers packages to Athens from June to September 2025, while Aegean also launched its new connection to Baku in April 2025.
These new connections and packages to Greece facilitate the demand from Azerbaijan for travel to Greece, which had already started to rise, Mr. Asgarov points out.
How Azerbaijani tourists travel
In terms of their travel profile, many Azerbaijani travelers travel with their families and make long stays of at least a week, while often traveling in groups of several families.
Many seek adventure, beautiful landscapes, history and culture, and love different gastronomic delights. “I believe they will love Cretan cuisine, because we have a similar climate to Greece, and the ingredients used in our food are similar to those used in Greece,” said the CEO of Pasha Travel.
Furthermore, during their vacations, they are not limited to the hotel premises but seek to explore the destination as well.
Besides, the connecting link between the two peoples remains the “hospitality” for which Azerbaijan is famous, as is Greece. “In Greece, they will feel at home,” stressed Mr. Asgarov.
