YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Tourism in Armenia must become a complex of services in line with leading international standards, be more appealing for foreign tourists and a convenient alternative for leisure, Suren Karayan, minister of economic development and investments told reporters on December 28 while presenting the Government’s vision on tourism development in Armenia.

“For this purpose, reforms based on long-term objectives must be realized, and in the short-term period those issues must be solves which are defined under the Government’s program”, the minister said.

He said the existing tourism services must be packaged in a targeted way, tourism attraction of Armenia must be raised, qualifying criteria of tourism services must be introduced in order to improve the quality of tourism infrastructures and services, the entry process must be facilitated and in this context a visa-free regime must be defined for citizens of Japan, Albania, Canada and several countries of the Persian Gulf.

The minister said assistance will be increased in 2017 for new tourism directions with big potential: mountaineering, cycling, extreme tourism, eco-tourism, healthcare tourism and others.

“A development program will be designed, with the purpose of at least to triple the number of tourists in a 5 year period”, he said.