Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

Baku, located on the western edge of the Caspian Sea, is in anticipation of the grand sport event as for the first time the F 1 cars will race along its streets this June.

The fabulous atmosphere in Baku will provide the perfect backdrop for the 8th round of the 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship during the race weekend of June 17-19, and allow spectators to enjoy a truly unique live sporting experience.

The specially constructed street track will see the F1 race around the stunning downtown area of Baku, incorporating its UNESCO-protected old city Icherisheher (Old City) as well as its modern skyline and beautiful Caspian Sea vista.

Experts expect large number of tourists from all over the world and the first ticket to this significant sporting event have already been purchased from the remote continent -- the U.S..

Bulent Ozerdim, Executive Advisor and Head of Commercial of the Baku Grand Prix stressed that Baku expects to see roughly 10,000 foreign tourists.

“Formula 1 is the most watched competition after the Football World Championships. Grand Prix competitions are watched by about 425 million people,” he said.

Studies show that during the planet's one of the highest profile sports, the flow of tourists increases by 40 percent.

Ozerdim emphasized that they were very surprised to know that the first ticket was bought from the U.S. late night.

“The sale of tickets has been launched for more than two months and for a short time the first ticket was purchased from the U.S. at 3:00am. We were surprised, as the interest to the Grand Prix has pushed people to buy a ticket, even at night. In general we expect 65 percent of the tickets to be sold to foreign countries. We also predict that the tickets will be purchased from Russia, the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Ukraine, Italy and the U.S.,” he said.

Recently Russian travel service Travel.ru has revealed that Baku will become the most popular tourist destinations for traveling of Russian fans of this royal race.

Ticket price for the fantastic car show varies between $89 and $590. Tickets will be valid for three days of competition, and they allow to attend concerts and other entertainment events within the Formula 1 race.

Azerbaijan’s authorities have repeatedly announced that this race will open great opportunities for the country and promote the development of tourism.

So that no one misses a chance to witness this grandiose race, the country’s president has already signed an order aiming at simplification of visa procedures for the tourists.

Foreigners and stateless persons, arriving in Azerbaijan for organizing and holding the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe, can get visas at the structural subdivisions of the foreign ministry’s consular department in Azerbaijan’s international airports.

One of the following documents can be considered as a basis for visa issuance: a document confirming permanent accreditation in line with rules of the Formula One Management Limited and International Automobile Federation, which are the international organizers of Formula 1; and a ticket or a document confirming the for the Formula 1’s ticket purchase.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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