ArmInfo.RA Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan took part today in the opening of the 67th session of the UNWTO Commission for Europe, which is being held in Yerevan.
As the press service of the RA Government reports, the event was also attended by the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization Zurab Pololikashvili, the Minister of Economy of Armenia Vahan Kerobyan, the Deputy Minister of Tourism of Greece Sofia Zacharaki and others. Welcoming the participants of the session, Deputy Prime Minister Matevosyan stated with joy that the steps taken by Armenia in the sphere were highly appreciated by the member states, thanks to which Armenia was elected a member of the Executive Council for the period of 2021-2025 during the 66th session of the Commission for Europe in Athens last year.
Touching upon the policy pursued by Armenia in the sphere of tourism, Hambardzum Matevosyan noted that the Government vigilantly follows the events and programs implemented in the sphere of tourism, applying the best experience in its domestic policies and strategies.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the coronavirus pandemic that challenged the whole world in 2020 was not only a deep healthcare crisis, but also a severe challenge for the world economy. "The sphere of tourism, as one of the most dynamically developing branches of the economy, did not bypass this catastrophe. As a result of the pandemic, tourism in Armenia is also one of the most affected sectors. However, due to the flexible state policy in the field, the tourism sector in the country is on the way to recovery", the Deputy PM emphasized, adding that only through joint efforts it will be possible to return to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
"We must learn lessons, transform the sphere in order to be better prepared for further undesirable crises. Today it is the duty of all of us to unite our efforts, to use all the levers and tools given to us to heal the sphere, to promote the role of tourism in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals," Hambardzum Matevosyan said, reaffirming the commitment of the Republic of Armenia to effectively cooperate with all UNWTO member states and stakeholders to achieve common goals aimed at the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Earlier, at the 66th session in Athens, Armenia was elected a member of the Executive Board of the organization for 2021-2025.
According to the RA Statistical Committee, 870,308 tourists visited Armenia in 2021, which is 2.4-fold higher than a year ago (against a decline of 80.2% in 2020). But even with such growth, it was not possible to restore the pre-Covid level of tourist flow.
Mostly citizens of the Russian Federation preferred to organize their holidays in Armenia, - 350.5 thousand tourists (an increase of 2.5-fold over the year), Iran - 91.1 thousand tourists (an increase of 5-fold), Georgia - 70.6 thousand tourists (an increase of 23. 5%), USA - 31.6 thousand tourists (an increase of 5.4-fold), Ukraine - 22.3 thousand tourists (an increase of 3.5-fold), India - 17.9 thousand tourists (an increase of 6.2- fold), France - 14.3 thousand tourists (an increase of 4.9-fold), Germany - 11.9 thousand tourists (an increase of 5.7-fold), the Netherlands - 7.5 thousand tourists (an increase of 3.6-fold), Belarus - 7.2 thousand tourists (an increase of 3.1-fold).
