“GEGHARD”
SCIENTIFIC ANALYTICAL
FOUNDATION
2025
2025
2025-11-18
In recent years, the Azerbaijani authorities have shown great activity in shaping their international image by directing tourist groups to Azerbaijan. These groups, arriving in Azerbaijan from various countries around the world, are also taken to Artsakh, and their tours—especially those conducted in the territory of Artsakh—are actively publicized with distinctly anti-Armenian emphasis and commentary.
Charles Veley, an American traveler and founder of the “Most Traveled People” (MTP) organization, is involved in organizing visits to Azerbaijan and accompanies groups composed of individuals of various nationalities, including on trips to Artsakh.
Although Veley claims that he is no longer engaged in active traveling, the MTP team has organized five visits to Artsakh since 2022. Organizers present these visits as familiarization tours and aimed at discovering Azerbaijan, but in reality, they function as a soft-power tool used by the Azerbaijani government.
During their trips, the MTP tourists visited several regions of Artsakh, to witness, as they claim, “widespread destruction caused by Armenian occupation” and the efforts and achievements of the Azerbaijani authorities in restoring those areas.
Although Charles Veley had “given up traveling,” in 2024, he participated in the Second Global Media Forum in Shushi, held under the slogan “Combatting Disinformation.” During the event, he emphasized the importance of foreign tourists in revealing “fake news”. According to Veley, international media outlets publish “fake news and information” about Karabakh, which does not correspond to “the reality” he and his groups claim to have seen.
One can notice that during the second forum, Veley effectively admitted that he had been “recruited or mobilized” to counter international reactions and information unfavorable to Azerbaijan’s leadership regarding Artsakh.
Just a few days after this statement—by a “remarkable coincidence”—the fourth MTP group visit to Artsakh took place under Veley’s leadership.
In July 2025, during a visit to Stepanakert, Veley took part in the Third Global Media Forum held in Shushi from July 19 to 21. In a panel discussion, he noted that people often ask him “why he supports ethnic cleansing and barbarity (i.e., the actions of the Azerbaijani authorities),” adding that he is “simply conveying the truth of what he has witnessed.”
Charles Veley during the Third Global Media Forum held in Shushi
Veley’s activities in Artsakh have also started to resemble “dark tourism,” meaning trips to places of conflict, destruction, or human tragedy. During these trips, together with the “tourists” brought to Azerbaijan, he has visited formerly mined areas, “observed” demining process, and visited the Shushi fortress and other locations, never missing an opportunity to spread anti-Armenian propaganda. Among other activities, the tourists visiting Artsakh were even offered “tank ride,” organized by the Azerbaijani armed forces.
There is no doubt that Charles Veley has become one of the tools of Azerbaijani propaganda, as evidenced by his interviews. It is worth noting that throughout his earlier travel career, Veley had never stood out for giving interviews praising any country or its leadership. Yet, quite surprisingly, he has begun giving numerous interviews to Azerbaijani media, filled with strongly anti-Armenian narratives. Speaking about the so called “destruction caused by 30 years of occupation,” Veley repeatedly portrays Armenians as destroyers and barbarians, while at the same time glorifying the Aliyev regime and praising the Azerbaijani authorities for their “rebuilding” activities in Artsakh.
“I have visited Karabakh three times in the last twelve months. Every time I visit the region, I can see progress,” he stated.
A country with closed borders presented as a “tourist” hotspot
Although Azerbaijan’s land borders remain closed and visiting Artsakh requires special permission from the Azerbaijani authorities, Charles Veley and the groups he assembles from different countries manage to enter both Azerbaijan and Artsakh without any obstacles.
A key figure in this process is Mehrac Mahmudov, the most traveled Azerbaijani in the world. Mahmudov established ties with Veley in 2021 during the International Conference of Extreme Travelers and proposed organizing tourist groups to Artsakh. It is worth noting that Mahmudov is also the founder of “Banner Media,” one of Azerbaijan’s largest advertising companies. Later, he was awarded the Heydar Aliyev Order for contributing to the enhancement of Azerbaijan’s international reputation.
Since July 23, 2025, the Azerbaijani authorities have permitted tourist visits to Artsakh through a special registration platform and a visa procedure. Although some restrictions are still in place, in general tourists can now register and visit Artsakh simply by obtaining tourist status.
Who funds Veley's groups visit to Artsakh?
Although some visits of Veley's groups have been covered by the Azerbaijani state news agency Azertac and the pro-government private news agency APA, it is still unclear whether the authorities are involved in organizing and financing these visits. For years, the Azerbaijani authorities have organized visits and events for international media, researchers, and scholars to showcase Azerbaijan, which is also considered part of “caviar diplomacy.” These visits are often accompanied by symbolic gifts from the Azerbaijani authorities. It can be assumed that the visits to Artsakh organized by Veley are part of this strategy.
Funding for MTP comes from membership fees and donations; however, the organization does not fund the tours it organizes. From November 13–16, 2025, MTP’s next congress is scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, organized with the support of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Tourism. This suggests that the organization is willing to cooperate with governments, which does not rule out the possibility of MTP collaborating with the Azerbaijani government.
Veley’s group near the ruins of the Akna Bread Museum in 2023
Veley’s activities in recent years