Yerevan to host 8th UN Global Wine Tourism Conference

ArmInfo. Yerevan will host the 8th UN Global Wine Tourism Conference.As reported by the press service of the Tourism Committee, this annual conference is an exceptional opportunity for cooperation between government agencies, territorial administration organizations, global and intergovernmental bodies, international wine experts to develop the wine culture of Armenia.

Within the framework of the conference, Armenian winemakers will  present their winemaking heritage and share their experience. During  the conference, participants will have a unique opportunity to get  acquainted with the oldest winery in the world - Areni-1 Cave, the  oldest winery discovered to date, which is 6,100 years old.

"Armenia is honored to host the 8th UN Global Wine Tourism  Conference. With its millennial winemaking traditions and rich  cultural heritage, Armenia has a unique opportunity to showcase its  innovative experience and exceptional wine culture. This conference  provides a unique platform for collaboration, learning and advancing  the global discourse on wine tourism," said Susanna Hakobyan, Acting  Chairperson of the Armenian Tourism Committee. 

In turn, Sandra Carvao, Director of Tourism Market Analysis, Policy  and Competitiveness at the UN, noted that wine tourism, being closely  linked to the culture and identity of the region, plays a crucial  role in empowering villages and developing communities, contributing  to the diversification of tourism offerings in various directions.  "The conference is not only an incentive for new partnerships and  knowledge sharing, but also points to the rich wine heritage, people  and culture of Armenia," she emphasized.

According to the Tourism Committee, 964 thousand tourists visited  Armenia in January-June 2024, which is 4% lower than the figure for  the previous year. Traditionally, the lion's share of tourists who  prefer to vacation in Armenia are citizens of the Russian Federation  (41%), followed by tourists from Georgia (13%), Iran (7%), India  (3%), the USA (2%), as well as from Ukraine, the Philippines,  Germany, France, China (1% each). According to the statistics of the  Republic of Armenia, in the first half of 2024, Armenia significantly  reduced its wine production - by 38.5% per annum, amounting to 4.4  million liters. According to the RA Customs Service, in 2023, Armenia  reduced wine exports by 7% to 4.4 million liters, with a decrease in  customs value by 2.8% to $18.3 million.

The main sales market for Armenian wine has traditionally been  Russia, the share of which increased from 78.8% in 2022 to 83.2% in  2023.

The United States follows by a wide margin with a share of 5%, France  - 1.6%, Belarus - 1.3%, Lithuania, Italy, Belgium (0.9% each), China  (0.8%), Georgia, Italy, Poland (0.4% each), the United Kingdom  (0.2%).  The remaining volume was supplied to Japanese, Kyrgyz,  Kazakh, Greek, Canadian, Latvian, Israeli, Estonian, Danish, German,  Australian, Emirati, Bulgarian, Dutch, Swiss, Ukrainian, Czech. Very  small volumes (less than 1,000 liters) were supplied to Finland,  Sweden, Taiwan, Norway, Iceland, Turkey, Austria, Brazil, Portugal,  Spain, Singapore, Cuba, Uruguay, Malta and Benin.