The Silk Roads, the most famous trade routes in history, may play a different role today than they did centuries ago, but their magnitude and mythical characteristics did not change. Trade always has been one of the main reasons the Silk Roads are essential in several countries along the passageway from East to West. Furthermore, many people follow Marco Polo’s example and travel for cultural and knowledge exchanges. However, today’s tourists do not need 24 years to travel across Asia and do not have to face the dangers the 13th-century travellers wrote about, and can still experience the atmosphere, cultures, and traditions along the Silk Roads in whichever country they chose (Silk Road Foundation, 2000).

With the One Belt One Road initiative of China, the UNESCO’s Silk Roads Online Platform and the Silk Road Project of the United Nations World Travel Organisation, many countries along the Silk Roads realised the potentials of tourism focusing on the cities and destinations along the roads (UNWTO, n.d.; UNESCO a, n.d.).

With the rising popularity of cultural tourism and the need for memorable experiences (Petroman, Petroman, Marin, Ciolac, Vaduva and Pandur, 2013) it is not surprising that visitors from all around the world and especially from the West started to set their eyes on the unique countries along the Silk Roads. In 2019, the visitor numbers in Azerbaijan increased by 11.4% to 3.1 million, compared to 2018. It was expected to grow more, but it is unknown now how the current situation with the COVID-19 will affect the numbers till the pandemic ends (Guha, 2020).

However, the opportunities for Azerbaijan to develop their Silk Roads tourism are undoubtedly there. The following paper will examine the current situation of the Silk Roads projects on a global level and Azerbaijan’s situation. It will also list the most famous and popular destinations in Azerbaijan along the Silk Roads, and the tourism products they offer, be it tangible, intangible, cultural, or natural. They are listed as primary and secondary resources where it is appropriate.

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