20,000 PEOPLE EMPLOYED BY TOURISM COMPANIES

ARMENPRESS
July 30, 2008

YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS: So far Armenian Economy Ministry has
licensed 124 guides for the country’s tourism sector. The ministry
started this process in 2005.

The press division of the ministry told Armenpress that out of 70
big and small hotels only 6 have received qualification. It said
this process is voluntary and each hotel undergoing it receives
then a special certificate indicating the number of its ‘stars.’
Tourism was declared by the government as one of its priorities. It
has helped to improve substantially infrastructures which contribute
to tourism boosting-highways and roads, airports were made to comply
with international standards, the number of hotels has increased along
with the number of cafes, restaurants and entrainment facilities. The
quality of services has also risen.

As a result more and more people visit Armenia. Particularly, 83,000
tourists visited Armenia in the first quarter of this year, by 15
percent more from a year before. The overall number of tourists by
the end of the year is expected to grow 20 percent.

Some 20,000 people are employed now directly by tourism-related
companies, who make 1.7 percent of the overall work force.

In the 2007 index of World Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Armenia
was rated 74 of 124 surveyed countries.