Tourists in Armenia spend $120 million more in H1 2019

In the first six months of 2019, tourists in Armenia spent $ 120 million more than in the same period of 2018, PM Pashinyan announced at a recent government meeting

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“Tourists should feel safe”

PM Pashinyan said that tourists had begun to spend more money in Armenia, but noted the important role of security and police personnel in this regard:

“The rule of law is very important for our tourists. In Armenia, citizens of the country and tourists should feel safe. This is very important for the further development of tourism.”

Numbers from the central bank

Chairman of the Central Bank Artur Javadyan confirmed the uptick, noting 85,000 more tourists came to Armenia in the first half of the year, spending:

• 75% more in restaurants,

• 36% more in tour agencies

• 32% more in hotels

• And 30%  more in supermarkets

Tourists also made use of ATMs by more than a fifth.

“We obtained this indicator by comparing data on the turnover of foreign plastic cards in our country, as well as data from the republican border crossing registration system. Because the card can be foreign, and its owner – a resident of Armenia. Therefore, it was necessary to take into account data on entries and exits”, said the Chairman of the Central Bank.

He also said that in 2013 a study was conducted, the results of which showed how much money each tourist spent in Armenia per trip. At the time, the figure was $730 dollars

“Today’s research shows that every tourist spends an average of $880,” Javadyan said.

According to this study, over the past 6 years, another 300 new hotels have appeared, which also indicates an increase in dema