Tourism official reveals most popular summer destinations for Armenians

YEREVAN, AUGUST 7, ARMENPRESS. Most Armenian tourists prefer beach holidays in the summertime, according to Armenian Tourism Federation President Mekhak Apresyan.

Apresyan told Armenpress that Armenian tourists mostly spend their summer holidays in Egypt and Montenegro (both of which do not require visa), as well as Greece (visa required).

“We Armenians like to spend our holidays near the sea,” he said, adding that the direct flights from Armenia to various destinations have made beach holidays more accessible.

Other top destinations for Armenian tourists include Sri Lanka and several European countries. Some, albeit not many, travel to the Dominican Republic or islands in the Caribbean or Southeast Asia.

The Black Sea shore in Georgia is also a preferred destination, however the number of Armenian tourists visiting Georgia has somewhat decreased due to the expanding opportunities of alternative destinations.

According to Apresyan, the number of Armenian tourists visiting Turkiye has significantly dropped in the recent years due to the unstable regional situation, as well as the developments of the past years. Antalya was once a popular destination for Armenians, but not anymore. “Even if there are those who travel there [to Antalya], it is a very small number. I honestly haven’t even seen our travel agencies advertise that direction. The Russian Black Sea shore is also not attractive [for Armenian tourists],” he said. Instead, other regions of Russia have become interesting for tourists. “For example, we have direct flights to Yekaterinburg, Tyumen and elsewhere. This is the result of active cooperation in the tourism sector. In case of Tyumen, the local Armenian community greatly supported and contributed to this,” Apresyan said.

Tourism will develop further if Armenian citizens will have the opportunity to obtain EU visas in a facilitated procedure, the tourism official added.