YEREVAN, DECEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. 272 thousand 499 tourists arrived in Armenia in 2006 January-September against 230 thousand 390 tourists who arrived in Armenia in the same period of the previous year: the growth made 18.3%. According to the data of reports received by RA National Statistical Service from hotels, 40 thousand tourists stayed at 38 Armenian hotels in 2006 January-September: 36 thousand 702 tourists stayed at 35 hotels in the same period of the previous year. 22.5% of tourists who stayed at Armenian hotels in the first ten months of this year fell to CIS countries (29.4% in January-September of the previous year), out of which the share of tourists having arrived from Russia makes 17% (22.6%) in the total number of tourists, from European Union countries 34.5% (28.8%), including those having arrived from France 14.1% (9.1%), from Germany 5.1% (5.4%), from Great Britain 5% (5.3%), from other EU countries 10.3% (9%). The share of tourists having arrived from other countries made 43% (in 2005 January-September 41.9%), from U.S. 23.3% (22.8%), from Iran 5.4% (8.1%). 250 thousand 639 people left the country for the purpose of tourism in the first nine months of 2006 or more by 19.8% as compared with 2005 January-September. In this period 5 thousand 777 tourists left the country on trips organized by travel agencies or more by 82.1% as compared with 2005 January-September.

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