Artsakh attracts more tourists

Over the past months of 2010, more than 7,000 foreigners visited the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the Consular Service at the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported. The number of tourists in the country has considerably increased compared to the same period of last year.

All this testifies to the world community's interest in Artsakh, despite Azerbaijan’s active counteraction and attempts to declare foreign citizens personae non gratae. Tourists are attracted by ancient historical monuments, magnificent landscape, picturesque canyons, healthy environment and mineral and hot springs. But they say the country’s main treasure are its good-natured and hospitable people.

Most of the visitors come from EU, the USA, Russia, Turkmenistan, Georgia, etc. There are a lot of foreigners visiting the country more than once. The geography of tourists expands every year. This year, the country had visitors from Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire who were in Nagorno Karabakh for the first time. Tourists flow from Iran has considerably increased over the past two months.

The most popular tourist attraction sites are Gandzasar (XIII century), Amaras (IV c.) and Dadivank (IV c.) monasteries, the excavations of the ancient town of Tigranakert, the Azokh cave, Nikol Duman's House-Museum, as well as the ancient Armenian fortresses of Akanaberd, Levonaberd, Berdaqar, Askeran, Tumasaberd, etc.

The opening of the Stepanakert airport scheduled for May, 2011 is expected to boost tourism in the country.