Armenia welcomed 2,263,642 tourists in 2025, Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan said Thursday at a Cabinet meeting, marking a 2.5 percent increase from 2024 and 19.4 percent higher than in 2019. He said 139,933 tourists visited in December alone, marking the best December in Armenia’s history in terms of tourist arrivals, and noted that Armenia’s record year for tourist arrivals was 2023, when the country received 50,000 more tourists than in 2025.
According to Papoyan, May, June, July, August, October, November, and December of 2025 were the best months in Armenia’s history in terms of tourist arrivals.
Papoyan said that 216,000 fewer tourists came from Russia in 2025 compared to 2023. However, 166,000 more tourists arrived from other countries, resulting in an overall difference of about 50,000 compared to 2023.
“Our policies will be about, for example, maintaining the share of Russia, which was 52-53 percent, but now 41 percent, maintaining Russia’s numbers, continuing to increase, but continuously increasing the volumes of other countries,” Papoyan said.
At Thursday’s Cabinet meeting, Papoyan also presented a draft on approving the strategic plan for the development of tourism in Armenia for 2026-2030, as well as an action plan to ensure its implementation. He said the strategy is aimed at developing tourism infrastructure and increasing the level of tourism in Armenia, and is designed to help attract more tourists and build a wider and more diversified market within five years.
Papoyan said Armenia should position itself internationally as a “tourist crossroads” and as an appealing, high-quality, safe, peaceful, competitive, and cozy tourist destination.
He noted that it will be a priority to position Armenia in the international market as a destination for cultural, gastronomic, and adventure tourism, including winter tourism. Papoyan said gastronomic tourism will focus on cuisine, wine, and the Armenian brand. Work will also continue to increase Armenia’s appeal as a tourist destination for those who prefer agritourism, MICE, religious, medical, and health tourism.
Papoyan said the strategic plan sets four main objectives. The first is the economic direction, which involves using the economic potential of tourism in Armenia in full and contributing to economic progress through reforms in the tourism sector. The second is increasing Armenia’s international appeal, aimed at strengthening the country’s image as an appealing tourist destination with an emphasis on hospitality and safety. The third is ensuring quality, including providing distinctive and exclusive experiences. The fourth is the social direction, which includes increasing the tourism workforce, providing a high level of services, and promoting tourism education.
“As a result of the implementation of the strategic plan, we plan, for example, to have at least 3 million inbound tourist visits by 2030, receive about $3.8 billion in revenue from tourism, of which $750 million can go to the state budget, have 4.5 million domestic tourist visits, create an additional 20,000 jobs on the account of the sector,” Papoyan said.
