The Armenian Tourism Committee is developing a state guarantee mechanism to protect the rights of both local and foreign tourists. This was announced by the Committee’s Chair, Lusine Gevorgyan, at a press conference on January 29.
According to Gevorgyan, the country’s tourism sector currently lacks transparency: many tourism service providers operate without official contracts, relying only on verbal agreements, while payments are often made in cash without issuing receipts. As a result, protecting tourists' rights in case of disputes or issues is nearly impossible.
The new initiative proposes mandatory insurance for tourism services. When purchasing a tour package, travelers will be automatically insured against tour operator bankruptcies and other force majeure circumstances.
Gevorgyan noted that various protection mechanisms are being considered, ranging from insurance and bank guarantees to the creation of a special fund. The project is currently under discussion with international donors.
Earlier, BMG reported that Armenia welcomed over 2.2 million tourists in 2024, marking a 5.1% decline (or 120,000 fewer visitors) compared to 2023, according to the country’s Tourism Committee.
In December 2024, the majority of visitors were Russian citizens, accounting for 43.1% of all tourists. Georgian tourists ranked second at 13%, followed by visitors from Iran at 8.4%.
