The 67th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Europe will be held in Yerevan from June 1st to 3rd, 2022 under the auspices of the Government of Armenia.

It is expected that over 90 delegates - tourism ministers, experts and media representatives from Europe will be part of the CEU Meeting in Yerevan.

The UNWTO Secretary General, Zurab Pololikashvili will arrive in Yerevan to participate and have official meetings with Armenia’s President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and other high-level officials.

Within the frames of the 67th Meeting a conference on “Tourism and Rural Development: How Local Experiences Build the Image and Value of a Destination” is to be held on June 3rd.

The UNWTO and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are partnering up in this special side event, in cooperation with the Tourism Committee of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia, in exploring ways in which tourism can promote the development of rural areas and communities in post COVID times.

Tourism Committee said the 67th CEU Meeting is a great opportunity for all countries to bring together decision-makers in the tourism field and try to show the power of tourism during challenging times.

“The organization of the 67th session of the UN Regional Commission for Europe in Armenia will significantly contribute to an increased image and recognition of Armenia as an appealing travel destination within the European region,” the news release reads.

The event will provide the opportunity to deepen the bilateral partnership in the field of tourism between Armenia and the European states, and discuss ongoing projects and possible new directions of cooperation taking into account that Europe is a target market for Armenia.

Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy and is a priority sector of the Armenian economy. In 2018, the sector invested $8.8 trillion in the global economy. It made up 10.4 percent of the GDP.

“Tourism investment in the GDP of Armenia in 2018 was 14.1 percent, amounting to about $1.8 billion. Before the COVID-19 pandemic Armenia appeared in international indexes and pages of influential news outlets as an attractive tourist destination, especially in 2019. In 2019, Armenia improved its ranking by 5 points in the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index compared to 2017. This index measures the opportunities and policies for sustainable tourism development, which in turn contributes to the country’s competitiveness.

Armenia’s tourism industry has shown significant growth in the past 5 years with an average annual growth of about 9 percent for incoming tourist arrivals,” the news release said.

More information about the 67th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Europe can be found here.