Official says benefit package promotes domestic tourism

Economy | 04.07.12 | 16:02

Mekhak Apresyan

By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

Officials of the Ministry of Economy believe a benefits package
introduced early this year envisaging state-financed medical insurance
(which includes funds for having a holiday) of public servants, will
essentially promote the development of domestic tourism in Armenia.

By government decree 18 billion drams ($46 million) have been allotted
from the 2012 State Budget providing social packages for 120,000
public servants, that is 132,000 drams ($340) per person per year.
The money must be used for health insurance; the remainder can be
spent on mortgage loans, tuition fee, and/or holiday in Armenia and/or
Nagorno-Karabakh.

Mekhak Apresyan, Head of the Ministry of Economy’s Tourism and
Territorial Economic Development Department, at a press conference on
Wednesday stated that the official website of the Ministry of Economy
(mineconomy.am) posted the list of the tour operators which are
included in the social package of holiday service for public servants.

`At the moment only ten tour companies are registered in the website,
presenting at least 15 packages of proposals, two of them in
Nagorno-Karabakh,’ Apresyan says, adding that the tour operators are
being chosen according to their bids; however, at the moment of
submitting the bid they must have at least three years of work
experience, and must have participated in exhibitions dedicated to
domestic tourism in Armenia.

Apresyan does not exclude that the state funds may not fully cover all
the expenses for holiday services however, they are substantial help
for citizens.

Representatives of Five Stars Travel Company, registered in the
ministry’s website, told ArmeniaNow that the cooperation is in the
interests of the company, too, and promotes its popularity.

`The demand in holiday services within the framework of the social
packages has started since May and at the moment we have 16 contracts
with people willing to spend their holidays in Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh,’ Five Stars Travel Company’s representative said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress