• Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Social Media
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • flickr
  • blogger
  • youtube

blog-logo

  • Home
  • Pan-Armenian News
  • UAE Armenians
  • Hrach Kalsahakian
  • Հայերեն բաժին
  • القسم العربي
  • Archives
    • News
    • Articles
    • Directory

Impressions by Anna Abgaryan about tourism in Armenia

December 1, 2011
A+ A-
Email Print

 


Azad-Hye



Anna Abgaryan is a Swedish Armenian who visited Armenia two years ago and had the following impressions which are posted here to help the Armenian authorities to understand the tourism product from the perspective of the European travelers.


I was born in Armenia and although collectively I lived there not more than 4 years through my entire life, I still consider it my home country.


Two years ago I came back as a tourist, after being away for 15 years, I wanted to show my motherland to my husband. So here is some feedback:


1. Preparing to trip: Not so many flights from Europe are available (we live in Sweden). What was available was pretty expensive. The good side was that we didn't have to worry about the visa. But it took us some time to find this information out and verify it.


2. Upon arrival in Yerevan: Nice airport (at least the arrival terminal), easy and fast passport control (and visa arrangement right in the airport!). Clear signs, no problem finding the car rental offices.


3. No problem finding our way from the airport into the city (we stayed in Marriott Hotel), although later we found out that that was the only clearly marked city entrance (from airport to downtown). Every time we entered the city from other sides it took us approximately 40 minutes of driving around before we could make it to the central square. No distinctive street name plates, no crossroad signs, no signs showing downtown direction (this was the situation at least two years ago).


4. Driving around was the most stressful experience. Bumpy roads is one of the problems (sometimes especially around Yerevan the roads were pretty good but then suddenly you'd have swerve to avoid a huge ditch just in the middle of the road!). Another problem during driving around the countryside is non-existent road marks, road signs, etc. It was useless to have a map, you could never understand where you were, unless you stopped and asked. But all that was actually bearable, the Armenian roads were not the worst we drove and GPS navigator would make it easier to find places. What caused the most stress was the road police, tons of them! Is this where the tax payers money goes? They would find faults with everything and just openly ask for money. Not nice.


5. What impressed my husband (as non-Armenian): Excellent climate (end of August), great food and water, hospitable people, a lot of young people with really good command of English (and very willing to speak it). The most important thing that really impressed him in Armenia – the unspoilt beauty, large areas that no one touched, unbelievably easy access to historical artifacts, you could stretch the hand and touch something that was around for at least 500 years. Whole country is a real open air museum.


I think Armenia has good potential for increasing the tourist flow. We are not a resort destination, but we can certainly become a cultural destination, being one of the most ancient nations with long history and traditions, including history of Christianity and churches.


These are the messages that have to be reinforced and marketed. Then, we'll just have to make it a bit easier for people to get there and move around!

author-avatar

Posted by Azad-Hye

Like to share?

Social Media

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • flickr
  • blogger
  • youtube
Newer PostՄիջին Արեւելքի հայութեան ապագան սուրիահայութեան փորձառութեան լոյսին տակ
Older PostԱնպատասխան հարցումներ

POPULAR

item-thumbnail

Vardavar (water pouring) international festival in Armenia gains popularity

July 17, 2015
item-thumbnail

Rebecca Malikian’s novel “The Caravan of Death”

July 10, 2015
item-thumbnail

Erebouni pen launched in Dubai and other cities

April 12, 2015
item-thumbnail

Discrete Video Modeling for children with special needs in Armenia

February 23, 2016
item-thumbnail

Nana Aramyan’s art and her exceptional inspiration

September 12, 2015

LATEST

item-thumbnail

تواصل تركيا سياستها التقليدية بتبرير الإبادة الأرمنية والتهديد

August 11, 2020
item-thumbnail

Ptit: Armenian language website for children and teenagers

June 20, 2020
item-thumbnail

Vartine Ohanian Minister of Youth and Sports in the New Lebanese Government

January 22, 2020
item-thumbnail

Հայաստանի լեռնահարստացման կոմբինատը՝ «Չաարատ Կապան» ՓԲԸ-ն պատրաստվում է մեծամաշտաբ ծրագիր իրականացնել

January 21, 2020
item-thumbnail

Traditional Armenian Pilgrimage in Chinsurah

January 15, 2020

COMMENTS

Azad-Hye on In memory of AUB Medical Alumni who died during the First World War
Azad-Hye on Kessab Ousoumnasirats celebrates centennial
Lawrence Danny CPA on Kessab Ousoumnasirats celebrates centennial
Stephensmith on Pizza making vending machine invented by Puzant Khachadourian
ALEXANIAN on Astghik Voskerchyan: Every element in my environment has a role in my creations

Categories

  • Applications
  • Chinese Armenians
  • Cyprus Armenians
  • Egyptian Armenians
  • Ethiopian Armenians
  • European Armenians
  • Hrach Kalsahakian
  • Indian Armenians
  • Interviews
  • Iraqi Armenians
  • Lebanese Armenians
  • Music
  • Pan-Armenian News
    • Art
    • Books
    • Business
    • Celebrations
    • Courses and Camps
    • Documentaries
    • Education
    • Energy
    • Festivals
    • Genocide
    • History
    • Interviews
    • Language
    • Poetry
    • Politics
    • Tourism
  • Religion
  • Syrian Armenians
  • Turkish Armenians
  • UAE Armenians
  • Websites
  • Հայերեն բաժին
  • القسم العربي

CUSTOM LINKS

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Social Media

RANDOM POSTS

item-thumbnail

Ավարտվեց «Արի տուն» ծրագրի անցումային երրորդ փուլը

item-thumbnail

Ավստրալահայ ընտանիքը հայրենադարձվել Հայաստան

item-thumbnail

Ավստրալիայի և Նոր Զելանդիայի Հայոց թեմի, Ավստրալիայի Արևելյան Ուղղափառ և Արևելյան Կաթոլիկ եկեղեցիների առաջնորդներն այցելեցին նախարարություն

TAG CLOUD

Armenian Art Armenian Catholics Armenian Christmas Armenian Costumes Armenian Genocide Armenian Songs Armenian Velvet Revolution Azad-Hye Celebrations Cyprus Armenians Daniel Varoujan Hejinian Diaspora Armenians Education Emma Kant Emma Karapetyan Ethiopian Armenians Garni Geghard Genocide Goris Greece Hidden Armenians History Iraqi Armenians Kessab Kessabtzis Krikor Jabotian Language Lebanese Armenians Meri Martirosyan Music Music Application Nana Aramyan Nikol Pashinyan Norway Ottoman Empire Paris Speech Therapy Syrian Armenians Syunik Turkey Turkish Armenians UAE Armenians Vardavar Western Armenia

Azad-Hye on FLICKER

© 2021 Azad-Hye . Designed by Wpinhands
Scroll