Overview

Armenia has recorded impressive gains over the course of the past decade as its tourism industry has begun to draw visitors from a broadening set of countries and has captured a larger share of Russian seasonal travelers. From 2010 to 2020, Armenia registered an annual tourism growth rate of nearly 15 percent, making it one of world’s fastest growing tourist destinations.   In 2020, due to COVID and regional hostilities, Armenia registered the fewest number of international tourists since 2005.  The number of travelers increased significantly in 2021 but was still below pre-COVID levels.  International tourism numbers in 2022 totaled 1.67 million visitors, in part due to large volumes of Russian travelers following the invasion of Ukraine. Armenia is expected to surpass its pre-COVID statistics in 2023. For the first half of the year, Government has reported more than one million visitors, on pace to surpass 1.9 million travelers who visited in 2019.  Armenia has relied heavily on drawing visitors from the diaspora to see family and friends, and, to a lesser extent, business travelers.  Over the greater part of a decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of arrivals in Armenia for holiday and leisure purposes.  The government’s official tourism authority, the Tourism Committee, was established in 2016.  The Tourism Committee has a policy function and has adopted a strategy for tourism promotion which highlights the different areas of tourism within Armenia including recreational, rural, spiritual, and cultural.  More focused government policy interventions have helped grow Armenia’s tourism sector, and the government is keen to increase sector jobs and revenues.

According to the World Economic Forum’s 2021 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report, Armenia ranked 61 out of 117 countries, improving four positions over the previous 2019 report.  The report gave generally good marks to Armenia in terms of most enabling environment factors for tourism in  found shortcomings and room for improvement according to several other metrics, including infrastructure.

Limited international flight connections impede the development of the tourism industry, although connectivity is improving.  The government’s civil aviation reforms, undertaken several years ago, haveof low-cost carriers t operate flights between Armenia and major European and Middle Eastern destinations.

Tourism patterns in Armenia tend to be highly seasonal, with the late spring, summer, and early fall months seeing strong inflows of tourists.  

Leading Sub-Sectors

Armenia provides opportunities for  tourism: cultural, religious, ecological, agricultural, recreational, culinary, nature, adventure, genealogical.

The country features a variety of cultural, natural, and historical sites, six UNESCO World Heritage sites, medieval monasteries, churches, and fortresses.   hospitality companies in Armenia, including hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, transportation companies, tour operators, and travel agencies.  Armenia’s key markets for international tourists include France, Germany, Russia, Iran, and the United States.

Yerevan serves as the main gateway to Armenia for  tourists.  Armenia’s capital offers a continuously evolving restaurant, café, and wine bar scene with traditional and international fare.  Lodging options continue expand city has many museums, festivals, concerts, movie theaters,  green spaces.   culturally, historically, and religiously significant sites are located in Yerevan.

Tsaghkadzor is a ski resort town located a one-hour drive from Yerevan.  It  a significant number of international and domestic tourists, particularly in the winter.  The town is served by a Marriott property.  New ski resort projects are planned for construction in Aragatsotn and Shirak provinces. In 2023, a new mountain resort opened on the mountain slopes east of Mount Aragats, in the Aparan region of Armenia. Dilijan is another popular retreat from Yerevan, with smaller hospitality establishments.  Dilijan National Park, containing dozens of recently improved hiking trails, is nearby.

Lake Sevan, one of the largest high-altitude freshwater lakes in Eurasia, is a popular summer destination for international and domestic tourists.  It offers opportunities for outdoor diversions and recreation, as well as places of cultural and religious significance.  Vayots Dzor province is Armenia’s wine country. The region also offers cultural and religious destinations, as well as hiking trails.  Jermuk is a leading health resort noted for its mineral waters and sanatoria.   

Festivals have become increasingly prominent in Armenia as well, with various events celebrating Armenian points of national pride such as wine, barbecue, and other dishes.

A number of other initiatives have taken place with the goal of restoring and preserving notable landmarks. One notable example of this is the Tatev Revival Project, a public-private partnership between the government and a private foundation that restored a major monastery complex in Armenia’s south and organized the construction of the longest reversible cableway in the world.

Opportunities

Several Armenian regions with high-quality tourist potential still lack up-to-date accommodations, restaurants, and services.  International partners have focused recommendations on the need to develop  hotels and guesthouses up to a sufficient standard for attracting and hosting international tourists. The government has developed investment master plans around strategic corridors.  Of particular interest may be the scenic but underdeveloped southern regions of Syunik and Vayots Dzor, as well as Gyumri and Dilijan, in Armenia’s north.

International partners, including the World Bank and United Nations Development Program, have invested in supporting the development of Armenia’s tourism sector through market analyses.  Various studies have examined infrastructure investment, skills development, product development, investment potential, and access to human capital as key considerations in selecting possible sites for tourism development and the creation of tourism corridors or circuits.

There are continuing opportunities for investment and commercial expansion in  to support the steady increase of tourists.  Well-known U.S. franchises, particularly restaurants, are in demand in and the sector is showing signs of growth.  ajor U.S. hotel chains have entered Armenia or expanded their operations in the Armenian market.

Resources

Ministry of Economy Armenia Official Tourist WebsiteArmenian National Interests Fund (ANIF)Enterprise Armenia Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia World Travel & Tourism CouncilAmerican Chamber of Commerce in Armenia Spyur Information System