Representatives of Armenian and Turkish tourism companies discussed prospects for cooperation

A working meeting between representatives of Armenian and Turkish tourism companies was held on June 12 at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Yerevan. Organized by the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia, the event marked another gathering of business circles from the two countries within the framework of the project “Support to the Armenia–Turkey Normalization Process: Strengthening Cross-Border Connections.”

The project is funded by the European Union and implemented in Armenia by the Eurasia Partnership Foundation and the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia, and in Turkey by the Hrant Dink Foundation and the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey.

According to Artur Ghazaryan, Head of Programmes at the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia, tourism and information technologies have been identified as priority sectors, with plans to expand cooperation into additional areas in the future.

During the meeting, participating companies presented their areas of activity, highlighted the challenges and specific issues currently affecting bilateral cooperation, and put forward numerous proposals.

Both sides stressed the strong level of interest, the considerable tourism potential, and the broad opportunities for collaboration. They noted the lack of mutual awareness, the fact that cooperation is often carried out through third-party intermediaries, and the adverse effects of insufficient communication, limited information, and closed borders. It was also pointed out that, although certain tourism flows already exist and some companies from both countries are cooperating, there remains a need for better coordination and further improvement of joint efforts.

The development and implementation of joint tourism packages aimed not only at bilateral exchanges but also at third-country destinations was viewed as a particularly promising avenue.

Participants were shown videos showcasing the tourism potential of Armenia and the border regions of Turkey.

As a result of the discussions, the participants agreed that establishing a joint platform to coordinate tourism potential would be an effective way to give practical shape to the proposals put forward. They also outlined the next steps to be taken.

The meeting was followed by B2B-format negotiations between the participating companies.