GROWTH OF SPHERE OF TOURISM MAY BE CHANGED BY FALL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF UNION OF INCOMING TOUR OPERATORS OF ARMENIA WARNS
YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Phenomena of careless competition got
an extended character in the sphere of incoming tourism may create
such a situation that the 20-25% annual growth of the sphere may be
changed by a fall.
Arayik Vardanian, the Executive Director of the Union of Incoming Tour
Operators of Armenia (UITOA) mentioned about it in the interview to
the Noyan Tapan correspondent. According to his data, about 150 tour
operators are registered in Armenia, but only 30 of them work in
the legal field. Tour operators joined the union occupy 70% of the
incoming tourism market. According to A.Vardanian’s words, cases,
when "firms having a butterfly’s life are founded for receiving
a concrete group of tourists" which propose low price services
to tourists, became more. But their quality very often does not
satisfy any accepted standard. It was mentioned that it relates
particularly to the suggested inferior food and transport means. The
UITOA Executive Director emphasized that to prevent so careless
competition with the help of licensing, the Union proposed the RA
Government and National Assembly to make amendements to the RA laws
"On Tourism" and "On Licensing." A.Vardanian believes that a licensed
tour operator functioning in an open legislative field must not be
able to offer inferior services and ones not corresponding to the
price to a client. He mentioned that the Union of Tour Operators took
steps aimed to self-arrangement of the sphere as well. For example,
it’s envisaged to adopt the Code of Laws for Tour Operators during
coming months. The UITOA was founded in late 2004 by 10 companies of
incoming tour operators. The process of formation of the union lasted
three years.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
