Armenia inbound, outbound tourism registers growth, official says

PanARMENIAN.Net - An increase in Armenia’s inbound and outbound tourism sectors has been registered in the first six months of 2016, the Head of the Tourism Department of the Economy Ministry told reporters Tuesday, September 27, Tert.am reports.

“Over 501,000 tourist visited the country in January-June, a 2.4% year-on-year increase. The reporting period saw a 2.8% growth in domestic tourism against the same period last year,” Mekhak Apresyan said.

According to Apresyan, tremendous work has been done both at the international level and in Armenia’s tourist industry.

“A number of traditional festivals having been organized, Armenia will host the annual meeting of the UNWTO Affiliate Members Plenary on October 1-4, which is a major achievement as well. The affiliate members represent the private sector, businesses, educational institutions,” he said.

Also, Apresyan cited the $400,000 annual budget of tourism promotion programs among the main obstacles to the development of tourism.

“A survey conducted in dozens of countries showed that marketing costs per tourist reach some $5-6. But this applies to densely populated countries hosting tourists in large numbers. A more active marketing policy would help us achieve better results,” Apresyan said.