Hovsep Patvakanyan: Over past 2-3 years, growing interest in  Armenia`s investment environment observed

ArmInfo.Over the past 2-3 years, a growing interest in Armenia's investment environment  has been observed, as stated by Hovsep Patvakanyan, Chairman of the Investment Council of the European Bank for Reconstruction and  Development (EBRD), in response to a question from an ArmInfo  correspondent on the sidelines of the International Trade and  Investment Forum (ITIF) on October 17.

He emphasized that the main areas of interest for investors are  renewable energy, agriculture, and tourism.  Notably there have been  structural changes  in the tourism industry, with a fivefold increase  in tourists from from Asian countries such as China, Thailand,  Vietnam, and India over the past three years. "At first glance, one  might think this is due to labor migrants from India, but upon closer  analysis, we see that this growth was driven by Chinese tourists,"  Patvakanyan clarified.

He added that according to EBRD research,  this growth is primarily  due to the visa-free regime  for Chinese citizens, as well as the  launch of direct flights and a strong interest in Armenia's rich  cultural heritage. Patvakanyan pointed out that Chinese tourists  visiting our country primarily purchase joint tour packages to visit  Armenia and Georgia.

It's worth noting that, according to data from the Tourism Committee,  34,265 tourists from China visited Armenia from January to September,  a 42% increase from the previous year. Overall, Chinese tourists  account for only 2% of visitors. 

Note that, according to the Statistical Committee of the Republic of  Armenia, the net flow of total foreign investment into the real  sector of the Armenian economy decreased by 55.3% year-on-year in the  first half of 2025, to a positive $125 million (48 billion AMD) from  a positive $276.4 million (107.3 billion AMD).  Additionally, the net  flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) went from a negative $56.5  million (21.9 billion AMD) to a positive $13.1 million (5 billion  AMD), increasing 2.2-fold year-on-year.