While in Italy tourism promotion is fragmented with uncoordinated initiatives by the individual Regions, there are those who do the opposite and aggregate the offer even overcoming national jealousies. Armenia plans to form, together with Georgia and Iran, a united region from the point of view of tourism, which can offer itself on the world market as an area united by similar attractions. The Armenians are very satisfied: in the first months of 2014, tourists visiting the small country nestled between Europe and Asia increased by 20,5 percent.
According to the National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia, the majority of tourists who have entered Armenia (32,9%) come from the countries of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States, a confederation made up of 11 republics of the former Union Soviet Union), 29,8% from European countries and the remainder from the rest of the world. Among the CIS States, Russia and Ukraine are in first position for entries into Armenia, while, as far as Europe is concerned, tourists arrive above all from the Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany and Great Britain.
The increase in visitors largely depends on an effective policy implemented by the government to encourage tourist activities, but the intentions are even more ambitious and the new program for the three-year period 2014-17 is committed to significantly increasing the role of Armenia on the scene of the global tourism market.
Many of the planned interventions will be aimed at developing the national tourist potential, through the enhancement of local traditions, the diversification of the tourist offer (archaeological, art, naturalistic, religious tourism) and, above all, presentation to the international community. The marketing and promotion of the country's image will be managed by a newly established body, the Tourism Development Fund of Armenia.
However, Armenians are not only interested in receiving visitors from abroad, but also in getting to know other peoples and cultures: again according to the National Statistical Service, in fact, in the first part of 2014, Armenian tourists also increased, by 18,2. XNUMX percent, compared to the previous year.
