Head of CAPS: Armenia has to carry out targeted marketing to conquer
new markets in tourism

2008-05-06 13:55:00

ArmInfo. Presently, more than ever before, Armenia has to carry out a
targeted marketing to conquer new markets in tourism, Head of the USAID
programme "Competitive Armenian Private Sector" Hayley Alexander said
today during opening of conference in Yerevan on Armenia’s
competitiveness in tourism.

He said that the propaganda of Armenia’s tourist attractiveness of
should be carried out not in chaotic but addressed manner. Thus, as a
result of a specific work carried out in Italy in 2007, Armenia
succeeded to twice increase the Italian tourists’ inflow. In
particular, fact-finding visits to Armenia were organized last year for
the Italian tourist operators and journalists. Such a targeted
marketing should be carried out also in France, which is also a
prosperous direction for development of tourism in Armenia, he said.

Director of USAID’s Economic Growth Office Rolf Anderson said in his
speech that the USA is interested in development of tourism in Armenia,
since this sphere is of great importance for the country’s economy,
especially for development of the economy in regions. Tourism promotes
creation of new workplaces and forms a country’s friendly image. He
expressed satisfaction with the fact that over half of Armenia’s
visitors are pleased with their visits and they express desire to visit
the country again.

RA Economy Minister Nerses Yeritsyan added that the Armenian government
expressed the state policy in the concept of tourism development for
the next 10-30 years. He thinks that the problem of formation of a
favourable business-climate, increase of the tourist attractiveness and
competitiveness in the region, growth of the services quality to the
world ones should be solved to assure stable growth in this sphere.

The conference has been organized by RA Economy Ministry, USAID
programme "Competitive Armenian private Sector" (CAPS) and the Armenian
Tourism Development Agency. The participants intend to discuss the
following: how the management of the country’s brand may assure
competitiveness and promote tourism development in the country; are the
services in tourism too expensive in Armenia; what is Armenia’s
position in the world tourist rating and other questions.