This is a renewed opportunity for European Members to come together and discuss the current situation of tourism, the challenges the field is facing, and the joint actions required for transforming tourism into a highly responsible, thoroughly trustworthy and more sustainable field.

During the 66^th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Europe (CEU) held in Athens last year in June, the decision was made to hold the next CEU Meeting in Yerevan, Armenia.

The organization of the 67^th 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, as well as attract more tourists in the post-covid world.

Within the frames of the 67^th 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 3^rd, 2022.

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.

The 67^th 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.

A platform will be created for the tourism Ministers to discuss existing projects aimed at developing cooperation in the field of tourism, as well as deliberation on new opportunities for cooperation.

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.