eTurboNews
March 24 2012
Armenian PM calls on Israeli tourists to visit country
Mar 23, 2012
Have you been to Armenia yet? Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
invites Israeli tourists to visit the Caucasus country. Armenia
borders with Iran and Turkey, and opts to attract Israeli tourists,
who are now more reluctant to go to neighboring Turkey.
In a special interview, Sargsyan said Armenia is working to prepare
the infrastructure to welcome more tourists as early as spring 2012.
“We plan to accommodate up to 3 million tourists in the coming years,
many of them from Israel,” Sargsyan said. Armenia currently hosts
about 750,000 tourists annually.
Preparations include upgrading the hotel infrastructure and training
travel agents. “Armenia is proud of its history and Christian
heritage,” Sargsyan added. “We have great potential for religious
tourism, and we wish to learn more from Israel in this area.”
Identify with Israel
Armenia shares common features with Israel and views it as a role
model for coping with tragedy. The Armenian people suffered through
genocide during World War I, a horrific event that is still being
denied by many nations. Armenia also deals with prolonged territorial
disputes with Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Armenia offers many attractions to Israeli tourists. The lush
sceneries of the Caucasus are spotted with remote villages and lakes.
The first country to accept Christianity, Armenia has numerous ancient
Christian sites from the early middle ages, part of its rich cultural
heritage. One can also visit the famous Armenian Brandy factory, and
the small and unique Jewish community in Yerevan.
Sargsyan promised to find ways to improve accessibility to Israeli
tourists. Today, Israelis can easily receive a tourist’s visa at the
Yerevan airport. However, Armenian tourists seeking to visit Israel
are encountering more obstacles since there is no Israeli embassy in
the country, and are required to apply for a visa in neighboring
Georgia.
Source: ynetnews.com
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Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2012/03/25/armenian-pm-calls-on-israeli-tourists-to-visit-country/