ArmInfo. To restore the tourism sector in Armenia, it is necessary to at least double the number of tourist visits in 2021-2024. President of the Armenian Tourism Federation Mekhak Apresyan adheres to this point of view.
Speaking at a press conference on February 5, the expert noted that tourism has become the most vulnerable sector of the country's economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic and hostilities. Today, as Mekhak Apresyan emphasized, it is extremely important to work out a program for the restoration and development of the sphere in the shortest possible time, including through domestic tourism. The program should include a whole range of measures, including the implementation of institutional reforms and improvement of the competitive environment. It is also important to present to the international community the state's intentions to ensure public health and safety. Correctly oriented information, according to Apresyan, can serve as a basis for starting the development and presentation of appropriate packages of travel services. It is also necessary to present the real picture in Armenia through all diplomatic channels and the involvement of the diaspora. The implementation of all these measures, as Apresyan emphasized, will contribute to the rapid restoration of the country's tourism potential and ensure its sustainable development. The tourism sector can have a significant impact on the recovery of the entire economy of the country, and, as a result, will affect its defense capability. At the same time, the expert stated that nothing can be achieved if the personnel base is not provided at the highest level.
In this regard, the former head of the Tourism Committee Zarmine Zeytuntsyan announced the start of a program for retraining specialists in the field of hotel and guest business. The program was developed by specialists of the American University of Armenia with funding from the "Louise Simon Manukyan" Charitable Foundation. The project is designed for one year. According to Zeytuntsyan, due to downtime in the country, a situation may arise in which specialists will simply begin to lose their qualifications, and, as a consequence, lead to a loss of personnel. Given the fact that the recovery process can take several years, there is a need to maintain human resources. Within the framework of the program, it is envisaged to conduct training and retraining courses for both students and specialists. At the first stage, training will be carried out in such specializations as accounting, communications, mathematics and English. At this stage, the course is mainly designed for students. At the second stage, with the participation of specialists, it is planned to conduct training in sales of tour packages, marketing, corporate communications and strategic financial directions. A number of the heads of the hospitals, according to Zeytuntsian, have already agreed to participate in the courses.
It should be noted that by the results of 10 months of 2020, more than 1.5 million tourists were missing in Armenia. In the reporting period, inbound tourism to the country was 77.5% lower than the same period in 2019.
A total of 327 thousand tourists were registered. Decreased by 33.5% and domestic tourism.
