In H1 2019, tourists in Armenia spent $ 120 million more than in H1  2018

ArmInfo. In January-June 2019, tourists in Armenia spent $ 120 million more than in the same period last year. This was stated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on July  11 during a government meeting.

According to the prime minister, preliminary data of the Armenian  Central Bank already show positive changes in the field of inbound  tourism in the republic. He called on the Chairman of the Central  Bank Artur Javadyan to present the available preliminary data.

As Artur Javadyan pointed out, comparing the data obtained on the  basis of analysis of transactions carried out by bank cards received  outside of Armenia, as well as other calculations, the figures for  June of this year in comparison with the same period of 2018,  demonstrate a significant increase in transactions on these bank  cards.

As a result, the growth of such transactions in public  catering facilities was 75%, in hotels - by 32%, 36% growth was  recorded in travel agencies. In general, transactions on cashing bank  cards rose by 22%. "The growth of inbound tourism in January-June of  this year compared to the same period in 2018 was 12.3%, or 85  thousand people," he said.  According to Javadyan, back in 2013,  relevant studies were conducted, according to which, every tourist  spends $ 730 in Armenia. Today's calculations, as he noted, speak of  an indicator of at least $ 880. "The calculations of the Central Bank  show that today tourists in Armenia spent about $ 60-70 million, but  using our methods, we can say that in the first half of the year, $  115-120 million more was spent in the republic," Javadyan explained.

Answering Minister of Finance of Armenia Atom Janjughazyan's remark  that he could have a foreign bank card, the head of the Central Bank  assured that the data was backed up by a special system, including a  fixing flow of tourists to the republic.  However, Armenian Minister  of Economy Tigran Khachatryan asked the Central Bank to provide them  with data, and only after studying with the Committee on Tourism,  publish them.  The Prime Minister of Armenia, in turn, instructed the  Director of the National Security Service and the Chief of Police to  monitor the safety of tourists in the best possible way, which is a  prerequisite for the development of the tourism sector.