DESTINATION OF THE MONTH : ARMENIA:
Travel Daily News, Greece
April 2 2007
A land full of history
Destination of the Month" is a "how to sell" special column which aims
to fulfil the travel agents need of information. Tourism Authorities
can give useful hints and tips that will help a travel agent to better
sell the destination and as well as enlighten him with the pros and
cons that he needs to know to better inform its customers.
The Armenians, an ancient people living on an ancient land, call
Armenia "Hayastan," and themselves "Hai." The indigenous people of
the land of Ararat, Armenians forged their national identity with the
rise of powerful Armenian kingdoms, the adoption of Christianity as
Armenia’s state religion in 301 a.D. and the creation of the Armenian
alphabet in the fifth century, which spurred the development of
literature, philosophy, and science.
Archaeological and historical facts point to the development of
civilization in the region with the formation of the Urartu kingdom,
also mentioned in the Bible, around 980 BC.
No wonder that Armenia is fast becoming a tourism hot spot. The
richness of its cultural, historical and artistic heritage is set in an
imposing territory made of spectacular mountains, valleys, canyons and
forests. Lake Sevan, at 1.900 m. above sea level, is one of the largest
and most beautiful mountain lakes of the world. The best view is from
the Sevanank Monastery (IX century), situated in panoramic position
on a promontory, surrounded by crystal clear waters and breathtaking
mountains. Yerevan is the buzzing capital city that offers every kind
of cultural and artistic attraction – museums, galleries, theatres,
music and concerts – and entertainment with hundreds of restaurants,
cafes and shops.
Armenia’s stable political situation has given way to a fast-growing
economy and an expanding travel industry. Over the past five years,
the Armenian Tourism Development Agency (ATDA) has been developing
programs to showcase Armenia’s many attractions to the world travel
industry and tourists alike. Visitors to Armenia come mostly from
US, Canada, South America (Argentina and Brazil), Europe (France,
Germany, UK, Greece, Italy), Middle East (Lebanon and Syria), Iran,
CIS countries (former Soviet republics) and Japan.
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