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Third Armenian Tourism Competitiveness Conference Held

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  • Third Armenian Tourism Competitiveness Conference Held

    THIRD ARMENIAN TOURISM COMPETITIVENESS CONFERENCE HELD

    Noyan Tapan
    June 18, 2009

    YEREVAN, JUNE 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian government has proclaimed
    tourism a priority sector of the economy, and it is taking steps
    to turn the country into an excellency center of this sphere. So
    the government attaches importance to holding Armenian Tourism
    Competitiveness Conferences, which open an opportunity to discuss once
    again the approaches to the sector's development. RA Deputy Minister
    of Economy Vahe Danielian stated this in his speech of welcome at
    the 3rd annual Armenian Tourism Competitiveness Conference on June
    18. This year's conference is entitled "Towards Crisis Solutions".

    The conference is hosted by the USAID-funded Competitive Armenian
    Private Sector (CAPS) Project. Its Director Hayley Alexander said that
    the conference subject of targeted marketing in international market
    is a key one. In his opinion, success was achieved in this direction,
    particilarly in terms of cooperation with France. The CAPS director
    also focused on the use of information technologies in tourism and the
    coordinated work of the bodies responsible for the sector's development
    such as the RA Ministry of Economy, the Armenian Tourism Development
    Agency (ATDA) and the National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia
    (NCFA) - other organizers of the event.

    The USAID Armenia Office Head Ms. Jetinder Chima reminded that since
    2005 an average annual growth of 20% has been recorded in Armenia'
    tourism. However, in her estimation, the sector can grow at a higher
    rate. She said that although Armenians are hospitable, foreign tourists
    spend little money in Armenia because "those who sell goods do not
    speak and smile". She expressed an opinion that Armenia's tourism
    can also be encouraged by the formation and sale of budgetary -
    cheap travel packages.

    The ATDA CEO Nina Hovnanian-Alexanian expressed satisfaction with
    the fact that Armenia's tourism is growing, whereas all over the
    world tourism is suffering a decline due to the global financial and
    economic crisis. By official statistics, the number of tourists to
    Armenia rose by 2.8% in the first quarter of 2008 compared to the
    same period of the previous year and made 86,569.
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