Expert: To restore the tourism sector in Armenia, it is necessary to  at least double the number of tourist visits in 2021-2024

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.