Tour guides in Armenia to undergo qualification process to meet standards, new bill under development

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. The Tourism Committee is developing a bill for regulating the sector for tourism businesses and introducing a mandatory certification (qualification) process for tour guides working in Armenia.

Tourism Committee First Vice President Susanna Hakobyan told ARMENPRESS that the new bill has been discussed in various state departments. “We’ve already sent it to the government and received their observations, which we’ve already integrated. In the next stage, open format discussions will be held in the government. And I think we will have a final result regarding the law in a short period of time,” she said.

Hakobyan said the changes are aimed at bringing the businesses of the sector into the framework of regulations. “Under the new law certification processes will be introduced as well. A mandatory certification process will be in place for tour guides, and a voluntary certification process for hotel business entities and tour bus operators,” Hakobyan said.

Financial guarantees will be stipulated for outbound travel agents and tour operators.

The certification (licensing) process is aimed at developing standards and criteria for the tour guides and accommodation services. “Unfortunately, today there are tour guides, hotel businesses and also travel agencies who don’t comply in any way to any standards, I’m not talking only about international standards. And the changes proposed in our law are aimed at solving these problems,” Hakobyan said.

The certification process for hotel businesses will be delegated to an authorized body chosen by the government. International standards will be localized in implementing all processes.

Gayane Gaboyan