`Real’ foreign tourist visiting Armenia make 10-15 percent of all visitors: expert
27.01.2011,
21:40
Robert Minasian, the rector of Armenian Tourism Institute, questioned today government’s claims that hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists visit Armenia each year.
YEREVAN, January 27, /ARKA/. Robert Minasian, the rector of Armenian Tourism Institute, questioned today government’s claims that hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists visit Armenia each year. Speaking at a news conference Mr. Minasian who is also chairman of Armenian Tour Operators Union, said the official statistics show that last year as many as 600,000 tourists visited Armenia, but the real number of foreign tourists was about 10-15%.
The government data have been dismissed by experts as well who say the official figures take account of all individuals entering the country, who stay here for 24 hours. They even calculate thousands of Armenian labor migrants working abroad and spending holidays in their homeland. He said the methodology used by authorities to calculate foreign tourists visiting Armenia, distorts the real picture.
‘In reality the number of organized tourists visiting Armenia by groups or through tour operators is quite low due to insufficient advertising of the country as a tourist destination,’ he said, recalling that in 1997-1998 about 650,000 real tourists visited Armenia.
According to Armenian National Statistical Committee, the number of foreign tourists visiting Armenia surged by 15% in the first nine months of 2010 to 488,000. The number of Armenians visiting foreign countries as tourists grew by 19% to 474,600 people.-0-
The government data have been dismissed by experts as well who say the official figures take account of all individuals entering the country, who stay here for 24 hours. They even calculate thousands of Armenian labor migrants working abroad and spending holidays in their homeland. He said the methodology used by authorities to calculate foreign tourists visiting Armenia, distorts the real picture.
‘In reality the number of organized tourists visiting Armenia by groups or through tour operators is quite low due to insufficient advertising of the country as a tourist destination,’ he said, recalling that in 1997-1998 about 650,000 real tourists visited Armenia.
According to Armenian National Statistical Committee, the number of foreign tourists visiting Armenia surged by 15% in the first nine months of 2010 to 488,000. The number of Armenians visiting foreign countries as tourists grew by 19% to 474,600 people.-0-
