Armenian government set to regulate tourism industry

YEREVAN, December 8. /ARKA/. About 2.2 million foreign tourists visited Armenia in the first 11 months of 2023, which is an absolute record for the country, Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan said today.

Speaking at the parliamentary session, where a package of amendments to the Law on Tourism and related laws was discussed, Kerobyan presented a large-scale reform project aimed at streamlining the tourism industry.

According to him, the goal of these reforms is to solve all the problems and challenges hindering the development of the tourism industry.

Kerobyan reminded that tourism is a priority sector of the economy, interconnected with other sectors.

"Certain types of tourism services will be subject to notification. Clear standards and requirements for tourism service providers will be defined," he said.

For example, there will be certain requirements for consumer protection, including the conclusion of contracts, provision of financial guarantees, etc.

According to Kerobyan, Armenia currently lacks a system of quality control of tour guides' services. Therefore, the activities of guides will be subject to reporting. Besides, guides will have to be licensed after certification and meeting certain standards.

Besides, according to the project, both tourist buses and relevant information centers, as well as guides and accompanying persons will be subjected to evaluation. --0-