"Haykakan Zhamanak": Fewer Iranians to visit Armenia this year

Less Iranians are expected to visit Armenia in the period of their national new year, Nowruz. Head of the Economy Ministry’s Tourism Department Mekhak Apresyan has told the paper that this year they expect as many Iranian citizens as in 2012. But tour agencies’ forecasts essentially differ.

Employees at the tour agency Tatev TTT have told the Haykakan Zhamanak correspondent that two buses cross the Armenia-Iran border each day, instead of the 10 buses last year. Each of the Iranians spending the national holiday in Armenia would spend on average $1,000, thus preventing the devaluation of the Armenian Dram, says the paper, adding that the positive impact will be weaker this year.

The paper notes that one US Dollar sold for 416 Drams in Yerevan’s currency exchange units in 2012. It says further that the national currency’s valuation trends observed in the same period of 2012 was due to the high number of foreign currencies brought by Iranian tourists.