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CLOSE BUT DIFFERENT: ARMENIA, GEORGIA LOOK FOR MORE TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES IN COMPETITIVE MARKET
FEATURES | 27.03.15 | 11:42
http://armenianow.com/society/features/61837/armenia_georgia_tourism_market_prices
The love city Sighnaghi
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Armenia and Georgia, located on the borderline of Europe and Asia
with enormous historic-cultural heritage and exceptional nature,
were considered popular destinations among tourists during the Soviet
times and were accessible for Soviet citizens only. Today, 24 years
after the Soviet Union's collapse, the two South Caucasus nations
are known also in the international tourism market.
The Armenian and Georgian governments saw tourism as a major economic
branch and developed clear strategies to develop the field.
Head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration Giorgi Chogovadze
said: within tourism health and wine tourism enhancement are considered
the dominating ones. The World Bank allocated $65 million for the
field development upon subdivisions.
"More than 5 million tourists visit Georgia annually with around $1.7
billion of revenues provided for the state budget. Armenians are the
third largest group of tourists in Georgia, it is Black Sea beaches
that bring them here," Chogovadze said.
Head of the Tourism Department at the Ministry of Economy Mekhak
Apresyan, presented Armenian data saying that in 2014 about 1.2
million tourists visited Armenia, which is 13.3 percent more than in
2013. In 2013, more than 1 million tourists visited Armenia - 12.6
percent more than in 2012. According to the official, this dynamic
work is a result of years of effort.
"The quality of our services improves. Armenia becomes better-known
in international tourist structures. We foresee improvements to be
continuous, this year we expect another 10 percent growth," Apresyan
said. It is hard to say how much money from this field enters the
state budget, however, based on certain studies, I can say that each
tourist in Armenia spends $700-800 on the average."
Addressing the number of 5 million tourists visiting Georgia, Apresyan
referred to Georgian sources, saying that 1 million, 188,000 among
those are transit passengers, 2 million, 138,000 - one-day tourists,
and only 2 million, 65,000 are tourists who stay longer than a day.
Turkish tourists form the largest group of tourists in Georgia, then -
Azerbaijani, and then - Armenians. Russians are the first in Armenia,
then Georgians, Europeans and Iranians.
While Georgia enhances health and wine tourism, Armenia combines
several branches of tourism - historical-cultural, health, wine,
cuisine.
Apresyan said that they carry out joint programs with Georgian
partners, they bilaterally realize that in order to be competitive
in the international market, it is an effective method when a joint
tourist product is formed.
"Especially for tourists coming from afar it is more effective and
convenient to visit several countries at once, it is called a regional
tourist product. There are general packages as well that include
Azerbaijan as well, in that case the tour connection between Armenia
and Azerbaijan is kept by a Georgian tour operator. But packages
mostly include Armenia and Georgia, now we are thinking of having
such a package with Iran," Apresyan said.
Georgians undertook to innovative measures in order to develop tourism
in Georgia, for instance, the historic fortress-town of Sighnaghi in
the province of Kakheti became called the love city, where 24-hour
marriage registration offices function and visitors from all over the
world can be registered there. Preserving the historic face of the
town, it was completely reconstructed, all substructures function,
love is used as a trigger for making Sighnaghi more attractive and
developing tourism.
Apresyan said that Georgians found a real good solution in case of
Sighnaghi, at the same time saying that a similar program is planned to
be realized in Armenia where unique Armenian villages will be included.
"We already developed the "Wine and Wine Root" tourist route and we
are working on improving it, tourists come for a certain type of wine,
they visit grape fields, they squash the grapes with their own feet,
they attend wine factories, taste, at the same time try the cuisine,
visit historic-cultural monuments. We have a similar program with the
Armenian cuisine when they participate in the process of cooking,"
Apresyan presented.
Nevertheless, it is accepted that in Georgia prices are more affordable
than in Armenia. In summer the Georgian coast of the Black Sea gets
crowded with Armenian tourists. Comparing prices in the two countries,
Apresyan said: Armenians go to Georgia for the sea.
If in Georgian ski resorts, Bakuriani and Gudauri, a full board double
room at an average hotel costs $60, in Tsakhkadzor there are hotels
where the same would cost $30.
"We define competitiveness by several factors: quality of services,
price and the way we are presented in the market. Upon quality of
services, if we do not prevail, we definitely are no worse than
Georgia," Apresyan said, adding, "We registered progress, but
nevertheless, developing substructures, providing quality staff is
still a problem, we still need to raise professional qualifications
starting from tour operators to tour guides. The market expands,
the geography expands and soon we will need guides in Chinese and
Japanese."
Inter-provincial routes, sign boards, almost no toilets on the ways
are still a problem in Armenia causing discontent of tourists. But
whereas in 2000 there were only some 3-4 hotels in Armenia that
could host tourists and in Yerevan only, today already the network of
hotels contains 330 hotels, 220 - guest houses, 60 percent of which -
in provinces.
"A tourist country is a life on the spot, the more attractive and
interesting it is, the better it is for the local people, first of all,
and for tourists. What is Armenia's brand and why do people come?
I'd say, first, we are a Christian nation, a wonderful people, Armenian
families, traditions, historic monuments," he said. "The first tourist,
Noah, also came to Armenia first."
From: A. Papazian
FEATURES | 27.03.15 | 11:42
http://armenianow.com/society/features/61837/armenia_georgia_tourism_market_prices
The love city Sighnaghi
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Armenia and Georgia, located on the borderline of Europe and Asia
with enormous historic-cultural heritage and exceptional nature,
were considered popular destinations among tourists during the Soviet
times and were accessible for Soviet citizens only. Today, 24 years
after the Soviet Union's collapse, the two South Caucasus nations
are known also in the international tourism market.
The Armenian and Georgian governments saw tourism as a major economic
branch and developed clear strategies to develop the field.
Head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration Giorgi Chogovadze
said: within tourism health and wine tourism enhancement are considered
the dominating ones. The World Bank allocated $65 million for the
field development upon subdivisions.
"More than 5 million tourists visit Georgia annually with around $1.7
billion of revenues provided for the state budget. Armenians are the
third largest group of tourists in Georgia, it is Black Sea beaches
that bring them here," Chogovadze said.
Head of the Tourism Department at the Ministry of Economy Mekhak
Apresyan, presented Armenian data saying that in 2014 about 1.2
million tourists visited Armenia, which is 13.3 percent more than in
2013. In 2013, more than 1 million tourists visited Armenia - 12.6
percent more than in 2012. According to the official, this dynamic
work is a result of years of effort.
"The quality of our services improves. Armenia becomes better-known
in international tourist structures. We foresee improvements to be
continuous, this year we expect another 10 percent growth," Apresyan
said. It is hard to say how much money from this field enters the
state budget, however, based on certain studies, I can say that each
tourist in Armenia spends $700-800 on the average."
Addressing the number of 5 million tourists visiting Georgia, Apresyan
referred to Georgian sources, saying that 1 million, 188,000 among
those are transit passengers, 2 million, 138,000 - one-day tourists,
and only 2 million, 65,000 are tourists who stay longer than a day.
Turkish tourists form the largest group of tourists in Georgia, then -
Azerbaijani, and then - Armenians. Russians are the first in Armenia,
then Georgians, Europeans and Iranians.
While Georgia enhances health and wine tourism, Armenia combines
several branches of tourism - historical-cultural, health, wine,
cuisine.
Apresyan said that they carry out joint programs with Georgian
partners, they bilaterally realize that in order to be competitive
in the international market, it is an effective method when a joint
tourist product is formed.
"Especially for tourists coming from afar it is more effective and
convenient to visit several countries at once, it is called a regional
tourist product. There are general packages as well that include
Azerbaijan as well, in that case the tour connection between Armenia
and Azerbaijan is kept by a Georgian tour operator. But packages
mostly include Armenia and Georgia, now we are thinking of having
such a package with Iran," Apresyan said.
Georgians undertook to innovative measures in order to develop tourism
in Georgia, for instance, the historic fortress-town of Sighnaghi in
the province of Kakheti became called the love city, where 24-hour
marriage registration offices function and visitors from all over the
world can be registered there. Preserving the historic face of the
town, it was completely reconstructed, all substructures function,
love is used as a trigger for making Sighnaghi more attractive and
developing tourism.
Apresyan said that Georgians found a real good solution in case of
Sighnaghi, at the same time saying that a similar program is planned to
be realized in Armenia where unique Armenian villages will be included.
"We already developed the "Wine and Wine Root" tourist route and we
are working on improving it, tourists come for a certain type of wine,
they visit grape fields, they squash the grapes with their own feet,
they attend wine factories, taste, at the same time try the cuisine,
visit historic-cultural monuments. We have a similar program with the
Armenian cuisine when they participate in the process of cooking,"
Apresyan presented.
Nevertheless, it is accepted that in Georgia prices are more affordable
than in Armenia. In summer the Georgian coast of the Black Sea gets
crowded with Armenian tourists. Comparing prices in the two countries,
Apresyan said: Armenians go to Georgia for the sea.
If in Georgian ski resorts, Bakuriani and Gudauri, a full board double
room at an average hotel costs $60, in Tsakhkadzor there are hotels
where the same would cost $30.
"We define competitiveness by several factors: quality of services,
price and the way we are presented in the market. Upon quality of
services, if we do not prevail, we definitely are no worse than
Georgia," Apresyan said, adding, "We registered progress, but
nevertheless, developing substructures, providing quality staff is
still a problem, we still need to raise professional qualifications
starting from tour operators to tour guides. The market expands,
the geography expands and soon we will need guides in Chinese and
Japanese."
Inter-provincial routes, sign boards, almost no toilets on the ways
are still a problem in Armenia causing discontent of tourists. But
whereas in 2000 there were only some 3-4 hotels in Armenia that
could host tourists and in Yerevan only, today already the network of
hotels contains 330 hotels, 220 - guest houses, 60 percent of which -
in provinces.
"A tourist country is a life on the spot, the more attractive and
interesting it is, the better it is for the local people, first of all,
and for tourists. What is Armenia's brand and why do people come?
I'd say, first, we are a Christian nation, a wonderful people, Armenian
families, traditions, historic monuments," he said. "The first tourist,
Noah, also came to Armenia first."
From: A. Papazian