Greece, Georgia, Egypt, and Bulgaria remain top holiday destinations for Armenians in 2017, both tour operators and the state tourism committee asserted.
According to Mekhak Apresyan, first deputy chairman of the committee, the number of outbound tourists increased by 17,1 % in the first quarter of 2017 – amounting to 266,324 as compared to the previous year’s same period.
“Armenians prefer countries offering sea leisure. According to the indicators of the recent years, they mostly visit Georgia, which is associated with proximity and affordability, Bulgaria, Black Sea and Mediterranean countries, as well as exotic countries. Tourists who visited Egypt also amounted a big number, however the flow has decreased lately due to the political situation there”, Apresyan said.
A number of travel agencies told ARMENPRESS that the main tourism destinations in the last couple of years are Greece, Georgia and Egypt. According to the travel agencies, this choice is associatied with low prices, while in terms of Georgia with the visa-free regime and proximity.
Several travel agencies said the flow of outbound tourists has increased, while some said the opposite – it has decreased.
Globus Tour told ARMENPRESS that three years ago Egypt was the top destination in terms of number of tourists. This year however, it is the third country, after Greece and Cyprus.
Marine Avetisyan, director of Shelby Tour travel agency, said about 30-50 packages are sold weekly en route Egypt, whereas last year the number was 5-6.
“Currently around 150 people visit Georgia weekly. While the most in demand destinations with higher prices include Spain, Cyprus and Montenegro”, she said.
Green Way Travel said many tourists also prefer European countries in addition to Greece and Egypt, while the UAE and Cyprus are also preferred.
Group tours bound for India and Sri Lanka have also begun.
The total number of outbound tourists from Armenia in 2016 amounted 1,262,000, which is an increase of 6,3% compared to 2015.
Source: ARMENPRESS
