ACCORDING TO FORECASTS, OVER 400 THOUSAND TOURISTS TO VISIT ARMENIA IN 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. According to some forecasts, over
400 thousand tourists will visit Armenia in 2006 against 320 thousand
in 2005. RA Deputy Minister of Trade and Economic Development Ara
Petrosian stated this at the first international conference "The Role
of Youth in Heritage Preservation and Development of
Cultural-Familiarization Tourism" that opened on October 27. In his
words, a growth has been registered in the outgoing tourism as well –
20-25% annually. Tourism experts and students from Armenia, Russia,
Georgia, Belarus, Ukraine, Iran, France and Switzerland are
participating in this two-day event held on the intitiative of the
UNESCO Armenia Office, the RA Ministry of Culture and Youth Issues and
the Armenian Tourism Institute – the Armenian branch of the
International Tourism Academy (Russia). RA Minister of Culture and
Youth Issues Hasmik Poghosian said that the aim of the conference is
to promote tourism in Armenia through joint discussions and exchange
of experience with other countries. She attached great importance to
the involvement of young people in this process. The presentation of
the book "Touristika" by Igor Zorin, Rector of the Russian
International Tourism Academy (in Armenian translation) took place
during the conference.