Author: News Author

Armenia received 2.26 million tourists in 2025. This number is 2.5% higher than in 2024.

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In December, 139,933 tourists arrived in the country. This figure became the best December result in Armenia’s history.

Armenia welcomed a total of 2,263,642 tourists in 2025. This result exceeds the 2024 level by 2.5% and stands 19.4% above the 2019 level. Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan announced this at a government meeting on Thursday.

Papoyan said that May, June, July, August, October, November, and December showed record-high results. Seven out of twelve months became the strongest months in Armenia’s tourism history.

He also noted that 2023 remains the best year so far. In that year, Armenia hosted 50,000 more tourists than in 2025.

Papoyan explained that the number of tourists from Russia dropped by 216,000 compared to 2023. At the same time, the number of tourists from other countries grew by 166,000. As a result, the overall decline reached only 50,000 visitors.

Tourism remains an important sector for Armenia’s economy. The government plans to expand this sector further. Under the Tourism Development Strategy for 2026–2030, Armenia aims to increase annual tourist arrivals to 3 million. For comparison, the country hosted about 2.2 million tourists in 2024.

Spanish Forbes has compiled a list of 26 travel destinations for 2026, including Armenia.

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“Take note of these 26 destinations we suggest for 2026 and make the coming year the most travel-filled of your life,” the authors of the article write.

It is noted that Armenia will become one of the most popular destinations in 2026 thanks to its combination of exoticism, history, and rich cultural heritage.

The publication recommends visiting the temples of Garni and Geghard, which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Lake Sevan and “Armenian Switzerland” – Dilijan, the Khor Virap monastery overlooking Ararat and Tatev, dating back to the 9th century, as well as to taste Armenian wines with 6,000 years of history and visit the Matenadaran museum, which houses one of the world’s largest collections of ancient manuscripts.

Starting March 11, 2026, Turkish Airlines will operate daily flights on the Istanbul–Yerevan–Istanbul route.

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Serdar Kılıç, Turkey’s special representative for talks on normalizing relations with Armenia, announced the decision on social media. He called it “another step towards resolving Armenian–Turkish relations.”

Despite the land border between Armenia and Turkey remaining closed since 1993, air travel between the two countries never stopped entirely. Airlines have launched regular flights between Yerevan and Istanbul at different periods, although none operated on a daily basis before.

At the same time, Turkey has not yet fulfilled the agreement with Armenia on opening the land border to third-country nationals. Armenia has repeatedly confirmed its readiness for this step and has prepared the Margar border checkpoint for operation.

The latest meeting between the special representatives of Turkey and Armenia took place at the Margar checkpoint. Serdar Kılıç met with Ruben Rubinyan, Deputy Speaker of the Armenian Parliament. During the talks, they discussed key normalization issues, including faster implementation of agreements on the partial border opening reached on July 1, 2022.

The “Wings of Tatev” cable car has won the prestigious World Travel Awards international prize for the fourth time, winning in the “World’s Best Cable Car” category.

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This year, the Armenian cable car beat competitors from Bolivia, Brazil, Vietnam, Canada, New Zealand, the USA, and South Africa. Previously, Wings of Tatev brought Armenia victory in this category in 2024, 2023, and 2021.

The victory of Wings of Tatev was announced in Bahrain at the official award ceremony of the World Travel Awards 2025 following an open vote.

This year, Wings of Tatev celebrated its 15th anniversary. Since its launch, the cable car has become one of the main symbols of Armenian tourism. Built on the initiative of Ruben Vardanyan and listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s longest (5,752 m) reversible cable car, it has been of key importance not only for the development of the Syunik region, but also for Armenia as a whole, increasing the country’s tourist appeal. Today, one in five tourists visiting Armenia comes to Syunik, and the tourist flow to the region has increased 17-fold.

Wings of Tatev not only connected tourists with one of the most picturesque corners of Armenia, but also opened the way to the medieval Tatev Monastery, breathing new life into the region and turning it into a magnet for travelers, cultural initiatives, and local businesses.

The cable car was built as part of the “Revival of Tatev” program initiated by Ruben Vardanyan and Veronica Zonabend, bringing together thousands of philanthropists, builders, and volunteers for the sake of tourism and socio-economic development in Syunik. All proceeds from the project go towards the restoration of Tatev Monastery and the development of the Tatev community.

The World Travel Awards is considered one of the most prestigious international awards in the tourism industry, which annually recognizes and rewards outstanding achievements in the global tourism, travel, and hospitality industry. It is often referred to as the “Oscars” of tourism, as it is awarded to the best projects in the industry for their commitment to excellence, high level of service, and innovation.

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Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air has announced the launch of a new direct route connecting Bratislava, Slovakia with Yerevan, Armenia.

The service is scheduled to begin on January 13, 2026, offering three weekly flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Tickets are already available for purchase on the airline’s official website and mobile app, with fares starting from approximately €29.99 one-way.

The new Bratislava–Yerevan service is part of Wizz Air’s expanding network from its Yerevan base at Zvartnots International Airport (EVN) — the airline’s 34th global base. Since starting operations in Armenia in 2020, Wizz Air has carried over 2.6 million passengers and serves numerous European destinations from Yerevan, making it a key player in Armenia’s international air connectivity.

For passengers, this means more choice, competitive fares and simplified travel options between Slovakia and Armenia — both for tourism and business travel — especially during the peak travel months of early 2026.

While the new Bratislava–Yerevan flights provide a direct air link, passengers also have alternative routes and transport options via other airlines & hubs:

• Vienna (located about 60 km west of Bratislava) with Austrian Airlines
• Budapest (Wizz Air already operates direct flights to Yerevan)

Zvartnots International Airport (EVN) — Located about 12 km west of Yerevan’s city centre, Zvartnots is Armenia’s primary international gateway and handles the majority of the country’s scheduled passenger flights. It serves both full-service and low-cost carriers and has seen a significant increase in European connections due to Wizz Air’s investment and base operations.

Bratislava Airport (BTS) — Also known as M. R. Štefánik Airport, Bratislava’s international airport lies roughly 10 km northeast of Slovakia’s capital. Over recent years, Wizz Air has expanded its presence here, adding aircraft and multiple routes to both business and leisure destinations across Europe.

Fly Cham airline flights on the Yerevan-Aleppo-Yerevan route began on November 7, 2025, according to the press service of Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan.

According to the current flight schedule, flights will operate once a week on Fridays.

The Syrian-Emirati airline Fly Cham was founded in May 2025. Its main hub is located in Damascus, with a secondary hub in Aleppo.

The first direct flight from Yerevan to Bari (Italy) took place on October 26, 2025, following two years of negotiations, according to the Armenian Embassy in Italy.

“The Yerevan-Bari flight is more than just air service: it is a bridge between two peoples, two cultures, and two economies. The new route will create opportunities for trade, tourism, academic, and cultural cooperation,” the embassy said in a statement.

The ceremony at Bari airport was attended by Dario Timuryan, Honorary Consul of Armenia in Bari.

On the eve of the flight launch, he met with Puglia Airports President Antonio Maria Vasile, during which the interlocutors welcomed the launch of the new route and emphasized its importance for the development of tourism, cultural and trade ties between Armenia and the southern Italian region of Apulia.

As a token of gratitude and friendship, President Vasile was presented with a work of art of exceptional symbolic value – a painting by Patricia Pozillipo depicting an ancient parchment document from 991, kept in Bari. “This is the oldest Armenian written document found in Italy, historical evidence of the millennial cultural and spiritual ties between Armenia and Apulia,” the embassy said.

In July 2025, the number of tourist visits increased by 11% (year-on-year), marking the third consecutive month of growth, according to the World Bank’s Armenia Monthly Economic Update – September 2025.

“Although the total number of visits for January-July decreased by 1%, this growth indicates a gradual recovery,” the study notes.

According to the Tourism Committee, more than 1.17 million tourists visited Armenia in the first seven months of 2025, compared to over 1.18 million in January-July last year. At the same time, almost 264,000 tourists arrived in the country in July alone, compared to 237,600 tourists in July 2024.

The clergy and believers prayed to God “for the indestructibility of the Republic of Armenia and for a peaceful, prosperous, and safe life for the Armenian people” because of the Armenia’s Independence Day.

Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II held a prayer service on Sunday in honor of Armenia’s Independence Day, according to the press office of the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Holy See of Echmiadzin.

” On September 21, in connection with Armenia’s Independence Day, after the completion of the Holy Liturgy at the altar of the Holy Descent of the Cathedral of St. Echmiadzin, presided over by His Holiness Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, a Republican prayer service was performed,” the statement said.

It is noted that the clergy and believers offered prayers to God “for the inviolability of the Republic of Armenia and a peaceful, prosperous, and safe life for the Armenian people.”

The Declaration of Independence of Armenia was adopted at the first session of the Supreme Council of Armenia on August 23, 1990. This document abolished the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic and proclaimed the independent Republic of Armenia. By a resolution of the Supreme Council of Armenia dated September 21, 1991, a referendum was held on withdrawal from the USSR and the establishment of independent statehood; 94.99% of citizens eligible to vote in the republic answered this question in the affirmative. Two days later, the Supreme Council of the republic proclaimed Armenia an independent, sovereign state.

On June 5, 2025, Korean Air, South Korea’s national carrier, began operating direct charter flights between Seoul and Yerevan, according to the Armenian Tourism Federation.

A new route operates from Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Seoul to Zvartnots Airport (EVN) in Yerevan and back.

The flight duration is approximately 8 hours and 35 minutes. The flight is designated KE9986 on the Yerevan – Seoul route.

The direct flight opens up new opportunities for tourist exchanges: Koreans can visit Armenia’s architectural and natural attractions, while Armenian tourists can enjoy the K-pop scene, temples, palaces, and festivals in Seoul.

The charter model allows for flexible optimization of flights to meet seasonal demand while maintaining competitive prices.

About Korean Air

Founded in 1962, it is South Korea’s flagship airline. It operates to nearly 150 international destinations in 50 countries on five continents. In addition to regular flights, it is actively developing a charter program, such as a new route to Armenia.