Deputy minister expects tourism to grow by 5-7% this year

YEREVAN, May 15, /ARKA/. A deputy Armenian economy minister Ara
Petrosian said today the government expects the number of foreign
tourists visiting the country to grow this year by 5-7%.

Speaking at the opening of the 10-th tourism fair in Yerevan called
the Country of Talking Stones, he said last year was a sort of a trial
for all, and despite the economic downturn the tourist industry
reported a 3% growth, while across the globe it fell by 4%. In the
first quarter of this year the number of foreign tourists increased by
9.4% year-on-year. According to official figures, 93,000 foreign
tourists visited Armenia in Q1, 2010. Their number increased 12 times
since 2000 to record high 575,000 in 2009. -0-