Prime Minister Presented 2023 Activity Report of the Tourism Committee

The report on the activities of the Tourism Committee for 2023 was discussed at the Ministry of Economy under the leadership of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The report was presented by Susanna Hakobyan, who is acting as the chair of the committee. According to the report, the budget of the Tourism Committee for 2023 was 7.5 billion drams, and it is expected to increase to 13.2 billion in 2024, driven by planned improvements in infrastructure.

Brief information on the procurement and grant competitions conducted by the Tourism Committee during 2023 was presented. It was noted that the total number of tourist visits in 2023 recorded an exceptional growth, reaching 2,316,666, which is a 40% increase compared to January-December 2022, and about 22% when compared to 2019. The highest number of tourists visited from Russia, Georgia, Iran, the USA, Germany, France, Ukraine, China, and Belarus.

Prime Minister Pashinyan indicated that statistical data this year have shown certain changes in the structure of tourism. For instance, while the number of tourists arriving from Russia has decreased compared to the previous year, a significant increase from other countries has been observed. Susanna Hakobyan noted that there has been an increase in tourists arriving from France, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates. “After conducting a certain filtering, it has become clear that there has also been an increase in the number of real tourists arriving from Russia. These analyses are available,” said Ms. Hakobyan.

The Prime Minister inquired whether all these factors indicate that the sector is moving in the right direction. “Certainly, the statistics on visits also indicate this,” noted the acting chair of the committee.

According to the World Tourism Organization's global tourism barometer, Armenia ranked 7th in the list of countries with the highest increase in tourist visits from January to September 2023.

A representative of the committee presented information on the implementation and results of the Government of Armenia’s action program for 2021-2026, adopted under Decision No. 1902-L on November 18, 2021. Specifically, measures aimed at improving statistics, developing a five-year tourism strategy, and enhancing infrastructure were highlighted.

From January 2023 to January 2024, the third research on international visits was conducted. Through surveys at Armenia's border crossing points, more precise information will be gathered regarding the geographical distribution of tourist visits, gender and age composition, travel organization options, tourist expenditure structures, repeat visits, and more.

The Prime Minister mentioned that the aforementioned research could provide crucial information for policy-making. According to Susanna Hakobyan, the first such research was conducted in 2007, and the second in 2012. “Very important data have emerged, especially regarding expenditures. According to 2013 data, the average expenditure per tourist during their visit was $798, and the average length of stay was calculated at 17 days. Currently, the expenditure has increased to $1000 during the average stay period. However, the length of stay has decreased by one day to 16 days. In this regard, there are specifics, as the stay duration of Armenians in the diaspora is longer, which influences the overall calculations. However, the typical tourist visiting Armenia for leisure stays for around 6-7 days,” said Ms. Hakobyan.

The Minister of Economy, Gevorg Papoyan, added that the research findings indicate an increase in the number of non-Armenians arriving in Armenia in recent years.

Prime Minister Pashinyan also addressed the issue of prices for tourism services and stated that this question should be approached with the logic of whether there is a problem or not. He indicated that the main message of the government and its programs to private sector partners should be to reduce costs through business efficiency. “This is the right path for us, as our policy should focus on increasing business effectiveness—energy efficiency, management efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and so on,” emphasized the Prime Minister.

During the meeting, it was also announced that on December 22, 2023, the National Assembly of Armenia adopted the “Tourism Law,” which will come into effect on September 1, 2024. In response to Prime Minister Pashinyan's inquiry, it was mentioned that after the law comes into force, the activities of those providing tourism services will be subject to notification, and from January 1, 2025, a new qualification system will be introduced for providers of tourism services. “We have not had information about travel operators until now. At the same time, a financial guarantee requirement has been established for outbound tourism services, as we have had numerous cases where, for instance, the airline transported tourists abroad but did not return them, leading to expenses from the state budget for returning citizens of Armenia. Another important change is the mandatory requalification requirement for tour guides, which is directly related to correctly presenting the country and its history. The law will also address the ethical rules for tour guides. A monitoring function for tourism services has also been introduced, which was previously absent,” stated Susanna Hakobyan.

Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized that the adoption of the law is also important from the perspective of tourists. “When they get the signal that this is a function under state supervision, confidence and attractiveness increase even more.”

It was reported that as part of the ITES program implemented in cooperation with the World Bank, several roads leading to tourism attractions have been repaired or reconstructed.

Other activities conducted by the Tourism Committee during 2023 were also presented. In particular, in collaboration with the UNDP, a global tourism investment forum was held in September 2023, and familiarization visits to several targeted countries were organized, where Armenia and its tourism offerings were presented at prestigious international exhibitions. Cooperation has been established with several airlines, and familiarization visits for journalists, bloggers, and notable individuals were conducted, along with support for 16 cultural, gastro (food and wine), and adventure festival organizations.

Subsequently, activities planned for 2024 were presented, including that Armenia will host the Eighth Global Conference on Wine Tourism organized by the UNWTO in September 2024. A representative of the committee also reported existing issues and obstacles in the tourism sector.

Summarizing the report, Susanna Hakobyan, acting head of the Tourism Committee, referred to the directives given by the Prime Minister in 2023 and presented the progress of their implementation.