4 minute read
Armenia is introducing a new regulatory system for the tourism sector that will require tourism service providers to officially notify the government of their activities. Beginning in the second half of October 2026, tour guides, tour operators, travel agencies, and accommodation providers will have to notify the authorities through a new online platform.
The Tourism Committee of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia has already carried out considerable work to organize the notification process.
Work on launching the website https://notify.tourism.gov.am/ is currently in its final stage. Anahit Mkrtchyan, Head of the Tourism Policy Department of the Tourism Committee, said at a press conference that tourism operators will have to notify the authorities about their activities through this platform.
“Tour guides, tour operators, travel agents, and companies providing hotel services will have to notify the authorities about their activities through this platform. The notification process will be very simple. When a tourism service provider enters the platform, many of the details will already be filled in. They will only need to add a few pieces of information. For example, managers of hotel facilities will fill in information about the number of rooms, the number of beds, occupancy, etc., while tour operators will add the geographical destinations where they operate and other information,” Anahit Mkrtchyan said.
Operating without notification will be considered illegal and will entail liability, ranging from a fine to imprisonment. The State Revenue Committee of the Republic of Armenia will be responsible for enforcement in this regard.
The need for this change arose from complaints from those operating in the sector. Many have pointed to unfair competition, with individuals engaging in shadow activities and earning more income than those operating within the legal framework. On the other hand, concerns have also been raised about the quality of services.
“For example, there is the issue of the safety of the information provided to tourists. In other words, we do not know what information is being passed on to tourists. At this point, we have approved the procedure for the qualification and training of tour guides, which will come into force on September 1. Qualification and training will be mandatory for tour guides. After obtaining their qualification, they will be required to undergo training once every three years,” she said.
If this work is already being carried out before the notification of activities is introduced, what new opportunities and tools will these changes provide? Anahit Mkrtchyan noted that, first of all, the authorities will have complete and comprehensive data on those operating in the sector, which will make it possible to work in a more targeted manner. In addition, if economic operators engage in activities that do not comply with the legislation, the Tourism Committee will be able, based on the new changes, to terminate or suspend their activities. This will also serve as a deterrent mechanism. Economic operators will strive to provide higher-quality services, especially since a rating system for tourism-sector operators will also be introduced.
The notification of activities in the tourism sector will begin in the second half of October 2026, on a phased basis.