Epress.am News from Armenia
Many Armenian citizens who seek the services of travel agencies eventually decide to celebrate the new year in Dubai, even if they had other plans beforehand, Number One Travel Agency representative Lusine Janinyan informed Epress.am. According to her, the main reason is that there are often more affordable offers to celebrate the new year in Dubai than in Armenia.
The price for a weekly holiday package for two at a 4-star hotel in Dubai is about $1,600 USD, including the cost of airfare. Armenian citizens' second preferred destination is Thailand, where a 10-day holiday for one person costs $1,600 USD, including tours.
Janinyan said that a new year's holiday at, for example, Dilijan Resort, for one person for one week costs 480,000 AMD (about $1,185). A stay for two at the Vosku Ashkharh ("World of Gold") Hotel in Tsaghkadzor costs 610,000 AMD (about $1,500). Despite the high prices, all the rooms in these hotels have been fully booked since November.
Currently, for the new year's holidays there is availability in relatively more modest holidays homes in Armenia, although the prices are still high, beginning from140,000 AMD (about $345) for 6 days.
Janinyan noticed a trend this year: citizens of Armenia are increasingly preferring to fly to other countries from Tbilisi. According to Janinyan, with their agency's help, the majority of tourists going away for the holidays prefer to get to Georgia by car. This way, they manage to save some money, as flights from Georgia are cheaper, while those flying from Yerevan are mainly those going on vacation with small children.