How to Boost Tourism to Armenia

· August 28, 2025

By Jirair Tutunjian

After reading a recent tourism article about Yerevan in The Times (UK), an odar reader wrote: “Rugged Soviet-era architecture mingled with brutalist tenement blocks.” We, of course, recognize the unnamed red-rose buildings and monuments. Meanwhile, tourism to Armenia declined by 4.1% from 2,316,000 in 2023 to 2,208,179 in 2024. The majority of the tourists came from Russia. Georgia, and Iran…they are not known as big spenders not to mention that some tourists from Russia and Georgia are Armenians visiting family and relatives. They don’t make a dent on tourism statistics. Meanwhile, 7.4 million people visited in next-door Georgia in 2024.

There are any number of reasons why tourism to Armenia lags thirty-five years after independence. Let’s first address the wrongheaded marketing. Reading travel articles or viewing travel ads about Armenia one gets the impression that there isn’t much to see and do in Armenia other than visit ancient churches, monasteries, and shrines. Promotion after promotion incessantly focus on the miraculous Datev monastery, Echmiadzin, Khor Virab, Keghart monastery, Garni temple, the churches around Lake Sevan, the Sanahin monastery, St. Gregory cathedral, and the Haghpad monastery…there are 4,000 churches in Armenia.

In addition to the absence of attraction diversity, what the above lack is the offering of tourist participation.

To attract tourists, promoters of tourism to Armenia should expand and diversify their “showcase” portfolio and make them less static and more participatory.

Attractions that need to be promoted:

1. Areni-1 in Vayots Tsor where a 5,500-year-old shoe (oldest in the world) was discovered relatively recently.

2. Wine and brandy tours. Promote their excellence and variety.

3. The Carahunge prehistoric site which is older (7,500 years) than the identically named Stonehenge in England (5,000 years).

4. Present tourists participatory public events such as Vartevar, Navasart, Golden Apricot Yerevan International Festival, Festival of National Costumes, Jazz Day, film festivals. etc.

5. Food and wine: Dolma Festival, harissa banquet, Beer Festival, Festival of Honey and Mullberry.

6. Promote opera, ballet, and jazz events.

7. Show locals are having fun. Thus, demonstrating that Armenians are outgoing, fun-loving, and friendly people. In other words, they welcome tourists.

8. Stay-with-local families programs. These programs encourage repeat visits.

9. Agri-tours, especially fruit harvest trips.

10.Visits to khachkar and other craft workshops.

Other ideas: Without mentioning their names, indicate that Armenia’s attractions are different from those of Georgia and Azerbaijan.

It would be a good idea to offer tourists a one-page mini-dictionary of useful Armenian words (barev, shnorhagal em, lav yem, Keene? Dram, choor, keenee, huts, baneer, etc.)

Finally, it would be useful to teach locals to erase the scowl from their faces and to smile…at least to visitors.