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Some 15,000 foreign tourists visit Karabakh this year

05.10.2016, 16:03
Some 15,000 foreign tourists have visited the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) this year, NKR deputy economy minister Sergey Shahverdyan said to a news conference today. He said this figure compares with 16,500 foreign tourists who visited NKR last year.

Some 15,000 foreign tourists visit Karabakh this year
YEREVAN, October 5. /ARKA/. Some 15,000 foreign tourists have visited the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) this year, NKR deputy economy minister Sergey Shahverdyan said to a news conference today. He said this figure compares with 16,500 foreign tourists who visited NKR last year. 

In the first two months after the April war, (when Azerbaijani troops launched a massive offensive against NKR army positions) the number of tourists decreased by 40%, however, the decline eased in the following months. 

"We hope that by the end of the year we will have as many foreign tourists as last year," - said Shahverdyan.

Shahverdyan explained that by saying ‘foreign tourists,’ he means those who need visas to enter Karabakh. Armenian citizens as well as ethnic Armenians living abroad with dual citizenship are not counted because of the absence of state border between Armenia and NKR.

According to Shahverdyan, the tourism industry accounts for 3% of GDP. The NKR government uses international exhibitions, the internet, social networks, videos, movies, print edition to advertise the country to tourists. There is also a special website at karabakh.travel.

Shahverdyan said also that the authorities are seeking to attract tourists from Iran by Persian cultural heritage preserved in Nagorno-Karabakh - mosques, tombs and other monuments.

He said an Iranian organization was awarded an order for the restoration of the Upper Mosque in Shushi. The work will begin in the near future with the support of an Armenian public organization. - 0--