Armenian Ministry of Economy expects positive changes in tourism this year

YEREVAN, October 2. /ARKA/. Speaking yesterday at an event to mark the World Tourism Day, Armenian economy minister Tigran Davtyan said the number of foreign tourists visiting Armenia this year is expected to show a substantial growth from the last year. 

He said last year the number of foreign tourists visiting Armenia increased by 10 percent. “This year, we also expect a positive process, " Davtyan said.

According to him, Armenia’s tourism industry has been posting for several years already faster growth. "As a rule, tourism industry indicators exceed our overall macroeconomic performance. This means that the share of this sector in the overall GDP is growing every year, creating new jobs and new opportunities," he said. 

He reminded that this sector is a priority and is a good opportunity for the development of the economy, increasing the attractiveness of the country. He said tourism and hospitality industry must be developed also outside the capital city and special emphasis should be on boosting also domestic truism.

On domestic tourism he said Armenians are choosing increasingly to spend their holidays at home. ‘In many respects we are as good as other countries with greater experience,’ he said.

He said also that on October 18-19 Armenia will host the World Conference on Tourism which will be wrapped by adoption of Yerevan Declaration. The event will be held under the auspices of the World Tourism Organization. He said this sector will continue to be in the focus of the government.

According to the some estimates of experts, 281,034 tourists visited Armenia in the first six months of this year, by 5.1 percent more form a year earlier. -0-