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EXPENSIVE HOTELS AND DIRTY PUBLIC TOILETS STILL KEY OBSTACLES TO TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN ARMENIA
arminfo
Wednesday, August 8, 18:27
Tourists often complain of high prices and poor service at Armenian
hotels, Armine Adamyan, President of Union of Incoming Tour Operators
of Armenia, told media, Wednesday.
"International practice shows that businessmen investing in hotel
business expect return in 10-15 years, while the Armenian businessmen
seek to get big profits already in 2-3 years. Therefore, they demand
astronomic prices for their services," she said. Adamyan complained of
high prices of air tickets: "A week- long travel to Armenia will cost
a tourist 5500 EUR, which is luxury that few people can afford them.
Moreover, they can enjoy a higher-quality rest in another country and
on the sea for the same price. For instance, in neighboring Georgia
ticket prices and hotels are half as expensive as in Armenia,"
she said.
Nevertheless, she highlighted certain progress in the sphere as
the flow of tourists in Armenia grew because of the tense domestic
political crisis in Syria. "The situation in Syria frightens the
tourists who wish to touch the cradle of the world history, and some
of them choose Armenia instead of Syria, as Armenia is also famous
for its cultural and historical values", she said.
Director of the Union of Incoming Tour Operators of Armenia Alexan
Zakaryan said, in turn, that many travel agencies do not invite
tourists to Armenia for lack of hotels.
"In addition, the criteria of first-class hotels are distorted in
Armenia. Service level at 5-star hotels much differs from the service
at similar hotels in foreign countries. In many countries hotel
classes are regulated by a special association, while in Armenia it
is regulated by the government," he said.
Zakaryan also alarmed of the poor state of public toilets in Armenia.
"Tourists impressed with rich cultural heritage of Armenia are shocked
to see our public toilets," he said.
By official statistics, 104.4 thousand tourists visited Armenia in Q1
2012, which is 9% (by 10,000 people) more than a year ago. Only 2251
tourists used services of travel agencies. Some 19% (19.1 thousand
people) stayed at hotels while in Armenia. There is a tourism
department affiliated with the Economy Ministry of Armenia. Judging
by the public aspect of the department's activity, the function of
the department is restricted to publishing suspicious statistics
on tourism.
To note, a recent survey of the hotel service conducted by M-Info
marketing company in Yerevan has unambiguously confirmed the experts'
opinion. The public opinion poll among the tourists demonstrated
that there are serious shortcomings in all the hotels of Yerevan. In
particular, most of the tourists were displeased with the quality
and assortment of food, especially the vegetarians. The customers
which do not smoke were also displeased as there is no floor for such
tourists in any hotel of Yerevan. So, only 18% out of 55 tourists
living in Marriott Armenia hotel were satisfied with everything,
8% were displeased with high prices which do not meet service, but
tourists were displeased most of all with the fact that there is no
swimming-pool on the hotel.
A total of 69 tourists out of the 500 pollees stayed at Ani Plaza
hotel. They were displeased with small rooms and thin walls which did
not let them sleep because of noisy neighbors. 10% of tourists were
displeased with the food quality. Unlike Armenia Marriott hotel,
there is a swimming-pool in Ani-Plaza, but the administration of
the hotel demands extra fee for using it. The endless noise from the
streets is the main defect of the Congress hotel, as for the service,
it turned to be of not so high quality. In Metropol hotel tourists
were displeased with the fact that the staff of the hotel was not
punctual and responsible. As for the Golden Tulip hotel, here the
food assortment was poor. The tourists also pointed at an important
shortcoming which is peculiar to almost all the hotels of Yerevan:
there are no special conveniences for disabled persons.
arminfo
Wednesday, August 8, 18:27
Tourists often complain of high prices and poor service at Armenian
hotels, Armine Adamyan, President of Union of Incoming Tour Operators
of Armenia, told media, Wednesday.
"International practice shows that businessmen investing in hotel
business expect return in 10-15 years, while the Armenian businessmen
seek to get big profits already in 2-3 years. Therefore, they demand
astronomic prices for their services," she said. Adamyan complained of
high prices of air tickets: "A week- long travel to Armenia will cost
a tourist 5500 EUR, which is luxury that few people can afford them.
Moreover, they can enjoy a higher-quality rest in another country and
on the sea for the same price. For instance, in neighboring Georgia
ticket prices and hotels are half as expensive as in Armenia,"
she said.
Nevertheless, she highlighted certain progress in the sphere as
the flow of tourists in Armenia grew because of the tense domestic
political crisis in Syria. "The situation in Syria frightens the
tourists who wish to touch the cradle of the world history, and some
of them choose Armenia instead of Syria, as Armenia is also famous
for its cultural and historical values", she said.
Director of the Union of Incoming Tour Operators of Armenia Alexan
Zakaryan said, in turn, that many travel agencies do not invite
tourists to Armenia for lack of hotels.
"In addition, the criteria of first-class hotels are distorted in
Armenia. Service level at 5-star hotels much differs from the service
at similar hotels in foreign countries. In many countries hotel
classes are regulated by a special association, while in Armenia it
is regulated by the government," he said.
Zakaryan also alarmed of the poor state of public toilets in Armenia.
"Tourists impressed with rich cultural heritage of Armenia are shocked
to see our public toilets," he said.
By official statistics, 104.4 thousand tourists visited Armenia in Q1
2012, which is 9% (by 10,000 people) more than a year ago. Only 2251
tourists used services of travel agencies. Some 19% (19.1 thousand
people) stayed at hotels while in Armenia. There is a tourism
department affiliated with the Economy Ministry of Armenia. Judging
by the public aspect of the department's activity, the function of
the department is restricted to publishing suspicious statistics
on tourism.
To note, a recent survey of the hotel service conducted by M-Info
marketing company in Yerevan has unambiguously confirmed the experts'
opinion. The public opinion poll among the tourists demonstrated
that there are serious shortcomings in all the hotels of Yerevan. In
particular, most of the tourists were displeased with the quality
and assortment of food, especially the vegetarians. The customers
which do not smoke were also displeased as there is no floor for such
tourists in any hotel of Yerevan. So, only 18% out of 55 tourists
living in Marriott Armenia hotel were satisfied with everything,
8% were displeased with high prices which do not meet service, but
tourists were displeased most of all with the fact that there is no
swimming-pool on the hotel.
A total of 69 tourists out of the 500 pollees stayed at Ani Plaza
hotel. They were displeased with small rooms and thin walls which did
not let them sleep because of noisy neighbors. 10% of tourists were
displeased with the food quality. Unlike Armenia Marriott hotel,
there is a swimming-pool in Ani-Plaza, but the administration of
the hotel demands extra fee for using it. The endless noise from the
streets is the main defect of the Congress hotel, as for the service,
it turned to be of not so high quality. In Metropol hotel tourists
were displeased with the fact that the staff of the hotel was not
punctual and responsible. As for the Golden Tulip hotel, here the
food assortment was poor. The tourists also pointed at an important
shortcoming which is peculiar to almost all the hotels of Yerevan:
there are no special conveniences for disabled persons.