Number of foreign tourists in Armenia may reach 1 million: research

YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS։Among the alternatives of the tourism development in Armenia, rural tourism and ecotourism should be in the center of attention. Armenia should pass from historical and cultural tourism to the abovementioned directions and the internal tourism routes should be reorganized to allow the domestic and foreign tourists to have the opportunity to have an overnight stay. Armenpress reports that Avenue Consulting Group, coordinating the works of the expertise and consulting group to develop this idea, has come to this conclusion.

According to the forecast of the company, the number of the foreign tourists may reach 1 million in 2014, which is more 20 times than the indicator of the year of 2000. “During the last ten years tourism in Armenia, which is a prior issue for the Government of the country, has registered a considerable growth – about 25% annually. Moreover, within the last five years qualitative changes have taken place in the tourism sector – corresponding substructures have been established (high quality hotels, food services), sustainable tourism routes have been set and the services have been significantly developed”, - says the report.

During the months of January-September 2013 677,906 tourists visited our country and in comparison with the same period of the previous year the indicator has increased by 12,4%. If during the months of January-September in 2012 53 hotels functioned, in the same period of the year of 2013 their number reached 74.