ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVES TOURISM 2009 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

ARKA
Apr 2, 2009

YEREVAN, April 2. /ARKA/. At its sitting today the RA Government
approved a tourism development program for 2009. RA Minister of
Economy Nerses Yeritsyan reported that similar programs have been
implemented in Armenia for the last few years and are aimed to make
Armenia more attractive to tourists and discover new aspects of the
country’s tourist potential.

"The program provides for five series of events, which requires 200mln
AMD," Yeritsyan said.

The first series includes informative and advertising events,
particularly Armenia’s participation in international tourist
exhibitions.

The second series is preparing and broadcasting informative video
clips about Armenia. Minister Yeritsyan also reported that the third
series is implementing measures to attract tourists to Armenia.

"The fourth series of events is arranging visits of foreign tour
operators and journalists to Armenia. Such visits proved successful
last year and have produced positive results," Yeritsyan said. He
pointed out that the fifth series is fulfilling international
commitments assumed by Armenia.

According to 2009 tourism development program available on the RA
Government’s website, over the last few years, government programs
in the tourist industry, cooperation between government authorities,
local government bodies and the Armenian private sector and population
has 0D ensured a steady increase in the number of tourists in Armenia.

Specifically, the number of tourist visits to Armenia increased by 25%
in 2001.

According to the program, 510,000 tourists visited Armenia in 2007,
and 558,400, in 2008. Under the tourism development program, the number
of tourists visiting Armenia is to be brought up to 650,000 AMD.