TODAY.AZ / World news

Armenia unattractive destination for tourists

30 March 2015 [09:50] - TODAY.AZ

/By AzerNews/

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

Grappling with lagging economy that paralyzed certain spheres including the industry, business, exports, which in turn exhaust the sources of income, the Armenian authorities now pin a great hope on a large-scale tourist flow to the country this spring to remedy the scars on the economy.

Tourism is as important as water and oxygen for the resource-poor economy like Armenia, who is landlocked in the region because of its aggressive behavior towards its neighbors. Since each tourist is viewed as a separate source for budget income, the rulers in Yerevan choose tourism as the key sphere to benefit amid recent tougher period.

According to World Bank data, Armenia's total income from tourism stood at $487 million over the last four years. The figures featuring the former Soviet nation's tourism profits ten years ago -- $486 million, shows that Yerevan managed to increase the number only by $1 million to date.

The existing unattractive tourism atmosphere in Armenia proves well the WB data, as for many tourists the South Caucasus country is not an attractive land anymore. For example, the capital city Yerevan is now hardly seeing the thumbs up from the voyagers from the European countries and Iran, who share great number of the tourists visiting the post-Soviet country. The trippers primarily complain about the robbery and cheating in many fields from taxi service to the accommodations.

For instance, to take the tourists to Lake Sevan, taxi drivers ask $170 from the tourists, which is extremely high price for the route and proves "traditional" swindling of the cab drivers in Armenia.

Travel agencies mostly in Yerevan lament on considerably decreased tourism incomes over the recent years. As for them, the lack of a proper mechanism to regulate this field orchestrates today's unpromising tourism sector in Armenia.

Manager of a travel agency in Yerevan, Gohar Hovhannisyan said far fewer tourists have visited Armenia in the recent three or four years.

The main problem is the skyrocketing service prices in Armenia beginning with renting costs, believes Hovhannisyan.

"Tourists can visit Turkey or Dubai and spend half of the sums they spend in Armenia. We are not a cheap country for them any longer," she said.

"Tourists are not interested in Armenia's history or culture. They just come here to enjoy their free time," Hovhannisyan added.

Primarily the tourists from Iran, who visit Armenia during their festive Novruz in March, claim they face numerous challenges including the religious intolerance, unforeseen robbery and cheating.

The fact of religious intolerance's existence in Armenia comes to light perfectly in view of a behavior towards the Iranian trippers in Yerevan.

Head of the Tourism Department under Economy Ministry, Mekhak Apresyan said many of the Persian tourists complain that they are not allowed to pray in hotels.

The official figures show clearly that the Iranian citizens do not prefer to visit Armenia anymore due to social discrimination and widespread swindling in view of them.

Henrik Navasardyan, a restaurant owner in Yerevan, said Armenia was included in "black list" of the travelers from Iran, as those who were in the country before refuse to visit here again.

"Iranian citizens encounter a lot of problems in Armenia including the artificially increased service prices and indifferent treatment. Because, there is a peculiar "formula" in Armenia - only the people coming from Europe are viewed as tourists, the rest are just visitors," he said.

The number of Iranian tourists fell to 94,000 in 2013 as the number stood at 111,000 in 2012, according to official statistics.

According to Tert.am, local media outlet, some Iranians strolling in Yerevan’s Republic Square and along North Avenue said the service prices have considerably risen in Armenia. So, they do not now visit the country as often as before.

The recent official data showed that the prices for hotel services increased by 20-30 percent in Armenia over the recent months primarily due to the ongoing financial hesitation.


URL: http://www.today.az/news/regions/139440.html

Print version

Views: 1541

Connect with us. Get latest news and updates.

Recommend news to friend

  • Your name:
  • Your e-mail:
  • Friend's name:
  • Friend's e-mail: