YEREVAN. – A total of 281,000 tourists have visited Armenia in the first six months of 2012, thereby surpassing by 5.1 percent last year’s indicator for the same time period, the National Statistical Service informs. 

Also, 302,000 people have left Armenia within this period and for tourism purposes, and this is 9.3 percent more as compared with January-June 2011. 

Solely 22 percent—or approximately 62,000—of the tourists visiting Armenia have stayed at hotels. But the number of those who have preferred hotels has increased by 9,500 as compared with the year past.

And in line with the data which Armenia’s hotels have provided, 20.5 percent of the tourists who visited Armenia in January-June 2012 are from CIS countries, 36.9 percent have come from EU countries, and 42.6 percent were from other countries.