Armenian travel agencies have joined Armenian and foreign tourists in complaining about how expensive holidaying here has grown over the past few years.

"I've been to Armenia twice. The first time was twelve years ago, the second was three years back. My wife is Armenian, and it is with great interest that I visit this country. I must say that there have been a lot of changes over the past few years. As for the prices, I honestly don't think that it is worth staying here for more than ten days. The food and hotel expenses are higher than in Sweden," said Swede Tommy Helman.

A tourist spends US $1,600-1,800 for a seven-day trip to Armenia. This figure includes plane tickets, hotel services, food and sightseeing tours. Hakob Gorginyan, a representative of the Avarayr Tour Agency, said that this price is quite high for Armenia and consists mainly of costly plane tickets and expensive hotel services.

A round trip ticket with Armavia airlines costs around US $500-1200. Flights to European countries start at US $700, while tickets within the CIS begin at US $500. The airline attributes the prices to high tax rates. A night's stay per person at a hotel in the center of Yerevan ranges from US $60 to 150. A travel package costs the same as a plane ticket for one person.

Tourists come mainly from European countries, the US, Russia and, to a lesser extent, from other CIS countries.

Any foreign citizen staying in the country from 24 hours to a year is considered a tourist, irrespective of the true nature of his visit to Armenia. This is the definition accepted by the World Tourism Organization.

According to information obtained in July 2006, 46,023 foreign citizens had entered the country and stayed for more than 24 hours. They include Diasporan Armenians, who are also called ethnic tourists.

Government has declared tourism an economic priority

According to the Department of Tourism in the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development, the number of tourists coming to Armenia grows annually at an average rate of around 25%. Department head Mekhak Apresyan said that the vast majority (around 70%) once again consists of Diasporan Armenians, but the number of foreign tourists has increased compared to previous years.

"It would be good if each tourist spends more here, availing themselves of as many services as possible, rather than having to spend a lot for a few services," said Apresyan. So far, that hasn't been happening.

With that aim in mind, this department of the ministry is currently busy preparing to market Armenia as a country with good conditions for tourism.

The ministry has an agreement with CNN to broadcast 30-second advertisements about Armenia. The state budget has allocated 215 million AMD for these commercial spots on the popular channel. The advertisements will go on air in the fall of this year.

People want to stay in three-star hotels

There are 63 hotels in Armenia, 31 of which are in Yerevan. This does not include guesthouses or motels.

From the beginning of this year, a system for rating quality has been in effect in the country. Hotels are free to apply and then receive a corresponding number of stars to their name. So far, Golden Palace Hotel has received the status of a five-star hotel, while the Metropol has received four and the Congress has been given three stars. These hotels charge US $90-160 per night.

Hakob Gorginyan, who works for the Avarayr Tour Agency, believes that the high prices of these hotels are facilitated by a lack of three-star hotels in the market. "Armenia is visited mostly by retired people. A majority of them prefer to stay in comfortable three-star hotels, and not luxurious five-star establishments. But since there are virtually no hotels with three-star status, the owners of hotels with mediocre facilities feel free to name any price they like," he said.

Arsen Makaryan, manager of the Bellagio Hotel, said that the high prices asked by hotels were complemented by a high standard of quality services.

20-year old Zaven Hayrapetyan was visiting Armenia for the first time. He found it difficult to say whether or not he would come to Armenia if this country were not his homeland. While the only incentive he had to come here was to see his homeland, the only problem he had was where to stay. He paid the dram equivalent of US $65 dollars per night, which, he said, was quite expensive for Armenia. "In any case, if I like everything here, I will return. Expensive services won't be an obstacle in that case," he said.

Tourist visits start with Karabakh

From the beginning of this year, the Armenian Government has required that tour guides operate only if they are licensed. So far 25 tour guides have applied for a license, and seven have completed the licensing procedure. The state tax for a license is US $20 annually.

Armenian tour operators offer sightseeing tours with 12-13 main routes. Tourists mostly prefer Garni-Geghard, Khor Virap, Noravank, Haghpat, Sanahin, Karahunj-Tatev, Haghpat-Sanahin-Dsegh, and Dilijan-Haghardzin-Goshavank.

Tour guides make around US $40-50 a day.

Davit Badalyan, a musician by profession, organizes tours for visitors. "I have relatively few customers because I only speak two languages and I am not very young. If I manage to accompany two tour groups a month, I am very satisfied."

Badalyan said that tourists are mainly interested in educational tours, but there are some who wish to try adventure tours, for example, cycling from Jermuk to Yerevan.

"Many want to see Karabakh first. But sometimes they really surprise me. Young people from the Diaspora are sometimes completely unappreciative - I show them Gandzasar, for example, and they say ' This is what we came all this way to see?' That hurts me. They should read up on their homeland a bit before coming here to visit," he said.

Davit Badalyan dreams of having a 10-seat minibus and organizing family tourism. "Sometimes, members of a Diasporan family arrange to fly in from different corners of the world and meet in Armenia, spending around a week here together. It would be interesting to explore family tourism in Armenia and arrange meetings of Diasporan families here."

People may accept prices if service is worth it

"Before advertising on CNN, the Government should think about the lack of public restrooms for travelers. Every time I accompany a tour group, I am forced to raise the microphone to my lips and constantly apologize - first for the pesky taxi drivers, then the policemen, the lack of organization at the airport and time lost, inconvenient roads as well as for the lack of restrooms on trips," said Hakob Gorginyan of Avarayr.

One positive development that Gorginyan noted was the shift of tourism focus from Yerevan, as it was a few years ago, to the various provincial regions now. Earlier, due to a lack of hotels in the provincial areas, 99% of all tours would end with a return to Yerevan, which would raise the travel expenses. Besides that, the range of services and available choices has widened.

"I don't think that the main attraction for people going to Kobuleti, Ajaria or Batumi is the sea. It's just that holidays there are more affordable for Armenian citizens," said Gorginyan.

Currently, a simple calculation shows that instead of staying at Tsaghkadzor for 14 days, one can take a 28-day trip to Batumi or Kobuleti at the same cost.

Only educated people should work in tourism

According to Karapet Safaryan, the Head of the Department of Tourism and New Technology Development at the European Regional Academy, not everyone currently in the tourism sector has been professionally trained in that area.

There is currently one Institute of Tourism in Armenia, and 10 other establishments of higher education have faculties of tourism.

"So far, we have invited final year students who speak a foreign language and are familiar with Armenian history and geography to paid training for three months after which we offer them a job," said Aram Hakobyan, director of Hyurs (My Guest) service.

The application deadline at the Armenian Tourism Institute is set for August 15 this year. So far there have been 10 applicants. Last year, 75 people were admitted to the institute.

There have been 60 applicants to the tourism section of the Institute of Information and Communication Technology of the European Regional Academy. Last year the total number admitted was 60.

This year, six academy graduates defended their masters' dissertations in the area of tourism for the first time.

Lena Nazaryan 
Photographs - Elizabeth Brewster