MCKINSEY & CO UNVEILS FINDINGS OF A RESEARCH ON ARMENIAN TOURISM
ArmenPress
Nov 10 2004
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS: Funded by 2020 Project, McKinsey and
Co consulting agency is developing a project on prospects of tourism
development in Armenia. The agency is supported by the Armenian
ministry of economy and trade and AEPLAC.
Yesterday the head of McKinsey, Andreas Mershner, Moscow office
manager Avetik Chalabian and an adviser Nikolai Shikhvtsov unveiled
their findings in Armenia Mariot hotel. The presentation was attended
by representatives of respective agencies, travel agencies, public
and donor organizations.
According to Shikhovtsov, the rise in the number of tourists from
41,000 in 1999 to 206,000 in 2003 is very impressive. Some 30% of
increased tourist flow was connected with celebrations of Christianity
as a state religion in Armenia. However, this indicator is by three
times lower that Armenian used to have during the Soviet Union. In
the words of the adviser, a concerning fact is that only 15% of the
visitors are “true tourists.”
According to McKinsey research findings, only Yerevan is in the
position to provide proper facilities to international travelers.
Other regions of Armenia lack such. According to A. Chalabian, the
size of investment in tourism industry is not small but it should be
coordinated. Otherwise, they may yield short-term results.