CAPS: Armenia needs to adopt comprehensive law on Tourism

PanARMENIAN.Net - Chief of CAPS program Artak Ghazaryan said as part of an informal meeting on Outlooks of Tourism Industry and Hindrances for Its Development that it is high time that Armenia adopts a comprehensive law on Tourism.

CAPS program is experienced in organizing meetings in such format, which provide representatives of the state and private sectors with the opportunity of an efficient dialogue, Ghazaryan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

Problems related to taxation of hotels, parking and other issues will be discussed in the framework of the informal meeting, noted Ghazaryan.

"Currently there are many countries, which draft and adopt comprehensive laws regulating not only separate processes in the tourism industry, but also related fields, such as transport, healthcare, etc, to develop tourism," stressed Ghazaryan, adding that it is high time that Armenia adopts such a law.

The meeting was organized by the RA Ministry of Economy, through the assistance of a USAID program – Competitive Armenian Private Sector (CAPS), as well as Council of RA Unions of Tourism Field. The meeting brought together unions of tourism companies, heads of around 40 tour operators and representatives of the state sector to discuss outlooks of the field development and existing problems.

The RA Ministry of Economy, jointly with CAPS experts, is drafting a bill on Tourism, the adoption of which will create more favorable conditions for the field development.