LONG-TERM PROGRAM OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TO BE ELABORATED IN ARMENIA BY THE END OF YEAR

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 5 2007

YEREVAN, October 5. /ARKA/. A long-term program of tourism development
will be elaborated and submitted for the government’s approval by the
end of this year, Armenian Minister of Trade and Economic Development
Nerses Yeritsian said at his meeting with the students of the Armenian
State Economic University.

According to him, the staff of the ministry currently works over the
development of the program in certain target directions together with
the representatives of private sector and public organizations.

The program is to be implemented during 30 years, which is sufficient
time for the development of the required infrastructures and real
estate fund, Yeritsian said.

He pointed out that a cluster approach is applied in elaboration of
the document, and the efficiency of the measures will be assessed
based on two main indicators – number of tourists and duration of
their stay in the country. These two indicators will demonstrate both
the effectiveness of the measures and the level of tourism development
in Armenia, the Minister said.

According to Armenia’s National Statistical Service, the number
of tourists visited Armenia in January-June 2007 increased 36.3%
as compared with the same period of 2006 and reached 181,200 people
against 132,900 people in January-June 2006.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress