YEREVAN. - Armenian PM Karen Karapetyan on Monday received the delegation led by Secretary General of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Taleb Rifai.

The PM noted that Armenia has a potential for the development of tourism, stressing that the country can offer diverse touristic results and high-level services to the international tourism market.

“We attach great importance to the development of inbound tourism and must take relevant measures to raise the touristic attractiveness so that Armenia and its rich historic and cultural heritage can become more known to the world. We are open to cooperation and ready to take measures to ensure sustainable development of the sphere,” the PM said, adding that the state policy behind the tourism field is to increase the tourism input in the national income growth and proportional territorial development.

Noting that the field of tourism is one of the priority directions of the Government, Karen Karapetyan added that the executive has initiated structural changes, as a result of which a separate committee dealing with tourism development will be set up.

According to the PM, the committee should cooperate with international organizations in the area of tourism. In this issue Karapetyan said he also expects the support of the UNWTO.

For his part, Taleb Rifai expressed readiness to support the Armenian Government both in that issue and in providing training and consultation services to the specialists of the sphere. Apart from this, he underscored the importance of close cooperation between the state-private sector and deepening of regional cooperation in giving a new impetus to the area.