This year the number of tourists who visited Armenia has grown by 14.8 percent. According to data from the Statistical Committee, 1 million 41 thousand 598 tourists visited Armenia in January-June, while in the same period of the previous year their number was 907 thousand 135.
At the same time, a notable change has been recorded in the structure of tourism. The growth in the number of tourists has not been accompanied by an increase in those staying in hotels. On the contrary, the number of tourists staying in hotels has fallen by 8.4 thousand, from 382 thousand 659 to 374 thousand 250.
Instead, the number of those who stayed in the homes of friends or relatives, in rented apartments and in other accommodation has grown by 27.2 percent.
The main growth is due to arrivals from Russia. Their share in the total number of tourists who visited Armenia has risen from 37.6 percent to 45.7 percent, while the number of tourists from Russia has grown by 18.8 percent.
Growth has also been recorded in arrivals from European Union countries. The share of EU countries has risen from 14 percent to 17.3 percent. Among individual markets, the growth in arrivals from the Netherlands is especially noticeable, by 37.8 percent, from Italy by 26.1 percent, and from the other EU countries by 29.6 percent.
At the same time, a significant decline has been recorded in arrivals from Iran. The number of Iranian tourists has fallen by 50.2 percent over one year. If in January-June 2025 they made up 8.2 percent of the tourists who visited Armenia, in the same period of 2026 that figure fell to 4.2 percent.
The number of arrivals from the United States has also fallen by 11.6 percent, while their share has gone from 7 percent to 6.3 percent.
In the first half of 2026, 58.5 percent of the tourists who visited Armenia came for leisure and recreation. In the same period of the previous year that figure was 56.1 percent. The number of visits for leisure and recreation has grown by 1.9 percent.
Instead, the number of visits to Armenia for business purposes has fallen by 9.5 percent. The share of this group in the total tourist flow has fallen from 39.5 percent to 36.6 percent.
Visits for medical treatment have also grown, by 12 percent, and visits for other purposes by 12.4 percent.
At the same time, the number of tourists departing Armenia for abroad has also fallen. In January-June 2026, 686 thousand 277 residents of Armenia departed abroad, who by statistical methodology are considered tourists. In the same period of 2025 their number was 748 thousand 331. That is, outbound tourism has fallen by 8.3 percent.
A more significant change has been recorded in trips organized through travel agencies. Their number has fallen from 12 thousand 214 to 7 thousand 457, by 38.9 percent.
At the same time, the overwhelming majority of tourists departing abroad continue to organize their travel independently. In the first half of 2026, 678 thousand 820 trips were organized in that way.
