The 67th Meeting of UNWTO Commission for Europe to Be Held in Yerevan

During the 66th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Europe held in Athens on June 2021, the decision was made to hold the next Meeting in Yerevan, Armenia. The 67th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Europe will be held in Yerevan from 1-3 June 2022.

"The 67^th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Europe is a renewed opportunity for European Members to come together and discuss the current situation of tourism, the challenges the field is facing and the joint actions required for transforming the tourism into a highly responsible, thoroughly trustworthy and more sustainable field," – said Sisian Boghossian, Chairperson of the Tourism Committee of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia.

Being a unique opportunity to showcase the diverse tourism offerings of Armenia to tourism ministers, experts and media representatives from all over Europe, the event will significantly contribute to the improvement of Armenia's position in the European tourism market as an appealing destination and further accelerate momentum to attract more tourists from the European countries.

The organization of the 67th session of the UNWTO Commission for Europe in Yerevan will:

1. Significantly increase the image and recognition of Armenia as a travel destination within the European region, as well as reposition Armenia as a safe and secure country in the post-covid world,

2. Put Armenia into the spotlight involving international media, influencers, visitors and locals as "ambassadors" in the communication and promotion of the country’s tourism potential,

3. Create a platform for discussion for developing further cooperation in the field of tourism, as well as seizing new opportunities for cooperation with the European member countries, the target market for Armenia.

Within the framework of the 67^th Meeting a conference on "Tourism and Rural Development: How Local Experiences Build the Image and Value of a Destination" is to be held.

The Meeting is being organized by the Tourism Committee of the Ministry of Economy of Armenia. Armenia is one of the countries to recognize tourism a priority on a state level. This is one of the principles of the state policy, stipulated by the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Tourism and Tourist Activities. The overall goal of the state policy in tourism is to increase its contribution to the sustainable development of the national economy and equal territorial economic growth while at the same time alleviating poverty through effective elaboration and implementation of tourism state policy. Well-established public-private partnership and mutually beneficial international and regional cooperation have resulted in significant growth in tourism sector during the last decade. This growth is reflected both in the number and geographical reach of international tourist arrivals, as well as investment in hospitality and related infrastructure. Armenia’s tourism industry has shown significant growth in the past five years with an average annual growth of about 9% of incoming tourist arrivals.

Due to the rich historic and cultural heritage, unique architecture, developing urban infrastructure and the hospitality of Armenians, the capital Yerevan attracts more and more tourists, expanding the geography of tourism market and strengthening its position on the map of the best travel destinations. Yerevan has recorded some impressive gains over the course of the past decade. Heading into 2020, Yerevan was emerging as a popular tourist destination. However, COVID-19 reduced tourism in Armenia, with the country registering an 80% decline in 2020.  Preliminary 2021 reports have shown a slight recovery in the sector. According to the National Statistical Committee, the number of foreign tourists visiting Armenia in 2021 grew by 2.4 times since 2020. The data for the first quarter of 2022 show good progress in the tourism sector.