Why the Influx of Russian Tourists to Armenia Has Decreased

The influx of Russian tourists to Armenia has decreased by 6.8% in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. This was announced by the Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan during a joint meeting of the permanent parliamentary committees on October 31, while discussing the draft state budget for 2025.

He noted that previously, the share of Russians in the total tourist flow was 50%. This year, it has accounted for 43%. "In the period from January to September 2024, the number of arrivals from Russia totaled 741,000 people," said Papoyan.

One of the reasons for this decline, according to the minister, was the coverage by Russian television channels. "Russian media outlets, in particular, reported that there were 200,000 people on the streets of Yerevan. Therefore, there were fewer tourists during the spring season," the government representative explained.

However, overall, the country was visited by a total of 1,721,245 people, as noted by the minister.