EXPENSES OF INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS IN ARMENIA TO MAKE 410 MILLION DOLLARS IN 2007 AGAINST 299 MILLION DOLLARS IN 2006

Noyan Tapan
Jan 30, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the RA ministry of
trade and economic development, more than 480 thousand international
tourists visited Armenia in 2007 against the envisaged number of
450 thousand. According to data of the ministry’s information and
PR department, 364 thousand international tourists visited Armenia
in January-September 2007, which is more by 33% as compared with 272
thousand tourists in the same period of 2006. The number of internal
tourists made 311,438, which is more by 25.6% as compared with 247,962
in the same period of 2006.

According to a statistical study on travels, expenses of international
tourists in Armenia grew by 36% annually since 2001, making 299 mln
dollars in 2006. The index of 410 mln dollars was forecast for 2007
(Armenian GDP made 9 bln 180.3 mln dollars).

In 2007 Armenia participated in a number of international tourism
exhibitions: Vakantiebeurs (the Netherlands), BIT (Italy), ITB
(Germany), CTF (Georgia), JATA (Japan), WTM (Great Britain), Globe
(Italy), Top Reza (France). The exhibition CTS 2007 was organized
in Yerevan. Draft intergovernmental agreements on cooperation in
tourism with Thailand, Sri Lanka, Argentina and Uruguay were developed
in 2007. Last year Armenia signed intergovernmental agreements on
cooperation in tourism with the UAE, Egypt and France.

In 2007 the ministry developed a draft concept on tourism development
and submitted it to interested state bodies and private sector
organizations for discussion.

By the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index published by the
World Economic Forum, Armenia ranked 74th among 124 countries.