Gevorg Papoyan and the Secretary-General of UN Tourism discussed prospects for the development of tourism in Armenia

On September 21, Armenia’s Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan received Shaikha Nasser Al-Nuaimi, Secretary-General of UN Tourism. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the International Medical Tourism Conference being held in Yerevan.

The meeting was attended by Armenia’s Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan; Anushik Avetian, Chair of the Tourism Committee of the Ministry of Economy of Armenia; Sos Avetisyan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to the Kingdom of Spain and Armenia’s Permanent Representative to UN Tourism; UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia Françoise Jacob; and representatives of the organization.

At the beginning of the meeting, Minister Gevorg Papoyan introduced the newly appointed Chair of the Tourism Committee to Shaikha Nasser Al-Nuaimi. Shaikha Nasser Al-Nuaimi congratulated Anushik Avetian on her appointment, emphasizing that UN Tourism is ready to support the development of Armenia’s tourism sector and cooperate with the new team.

During the meeting, the prospects for the development of tourism in Armenia were discussed, including ways to promote Armenia’s tourism potential in international markets, as well as directions for improving the sector’s strategy and data analysis.

Particular attention was paid to the opportunities for developing medical tourism. The sides emphasized the importance of cooperation between the healthcare and tourism sectors in order to present Armenia as an attractive medical tourism destination in the international market and effectively utilize the sector’s development potential.

Shaikha Nasser Al-Nuaimi informed the Armenian side that 100 scholarships would be offered to Armenia for participation in courses at the UN Tourism Online Academy, with the aim of developing the knowledge and professional skills of specialists in the sector.

The sides also discussed the development of sustainable tourism, opportunities to more broadly promote Armenia’s tourism potential through international platforms, and the possibility of providing technical assistance by the organization.