ON APPROVING MINIMUM STANDARDS REQUIRED FOR DECLARING AS TOURISM DESTINATIONS OR TOURISM VILLAGES, INCLUDING SPECIAL URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL NORMS, DEVELOPMENT GOALS, OBJECTIVES, ACTIONS

Guided by point 2 of part 1 of Article 5 of the Law of the Republic of Armenia "On tourism":

I hereby order:

1. To approve the minimum standards required for declaring as tourism villages, pursuant to Annex No 1.

2. To approve the minimum standards required for declaring as tourism destination, pursuant to Annex No 2.

3. To assign the Department of Information and Public Relations of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia to ensure the publication of this Order on the official website of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia.

MINIMUM STANDARDS REQUIRED FOR DECLARING AS TOURISM VILLAGES

1. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. The following main concepts shall be used in this Annex No 1:

(1) rural tourism — tourism in a rural environment during which a tourist has the opportunity to avail, directly in the village, of the provided services, which may be combined with the potential and tourism resources of the rural settlement, inter alia, including adventure tourism, cultural tourism, gastro tourism, ecotourism, ethnotourism, enotourism, as well as include tourism experiences characteristic of the rural environment;

(2) rural environment — a non-urbanised area (with up to or nearly ten thousands permanent residents) or settlement considered as village by the Law of the Republic of Armenia "On administrative-territorial division of the Republic of Armenia" where there are agricultural, forest resources, and folk traditions, rituals, traditional social structure and lifestyle are preserved;

(3) tourism village — a settlement, provided for by point 33 of part 1 of Article 3 of the Law of the Republic of Armenia "On tourism", meeting the standards set under Table 1 attached to this Annex and declared as a tourism village by the decision of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, where a visitor avails of the local tourism products and the available hard infrastructure;

(4) affected beneficiaries — residents of a settlement who have the opportunity to offer rural tourism, chamber of commerce and industry, organisations representing the interests of employers or employees, developers, persons carrying out other entrepreneurial activities, including persons involved in small and medium entrepreneurship.

2. By this Order, the goal of approving the minimum standards for declaring as tourism village shall be to encourage rural settlements to achieve the status of tourism village in line with the international best practice.

3. As a long-term vision, the goal of encouraging the status of tourism village shall be to:

(1) create new jobs in the settlement and improve the living standard and welfare of residents of the settlement;

(2) ensure sustainability (viability) of the services provided or offered to a tourist and further development thereof;

(3) prevent reduction of the population and the emigration of residents to urbanised settlements;

(4) foster the development of other branches of economy in the settlement, with respect to the revitalisation of tourism services;

(5) value the cultural features of a settlement, the restoration and preservation of traditions;

(6) foster the overall economic welfare;

(7) strengthen adaptability and resistance to climate changes.

4. Meeting the standards approved under this Order will allow the settlement contending for the status of tourism village to:

(1) support and promote the entrepreneurial activities of persons involved in the sector of tourism activities;

(2) improve access of a tourist to rural settlement and the link of the settlement to the hard infrastructure connecting to the external world;

(3) ensure the provision of hard infrastructure such as water supply and drainage systems, water treatment plants, other utility services, improve the quality thereof, modernise these services and the hard infrastructure for their maintenance, ensure access to mobile and fixed Internet or improve the quality of Internet connection;

(4) develop the entrepreneurial skills, capabilities and potential of residents of the rural settlement;

(5) promote the ensuring of gender equality in the rural environment, the employment and economic activities of youth and vulnerable groups;

(6) assist in more targeted observation of the needs of settlements in the fiscal policy.

5. Meeting the criteria envisaged for a tourism village will create an opportunity to guide the settlements of the Republic of Armenia to meet the standards for applying for tenders announced to receive the status of "tourism village" of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UN Tourism).

6. In order to bring the settlement contending for the status of tourism village or the settlement with the potential for rural tourism into compliance with the international standards, the affected beneficiaries and state bodies need to:

(1) prioritize and protect the settlements having potential of tourism village, preserve and protect the landscapes, biodiversity, tangible and intangible cultural diversity and local assets of the rural environment;

(2) introduce and convey driving force for development to the approaches that support the three pillars of stability, including economic, social and environmental pillars, as predetermined in the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (UN);

(3) carry out monitoring and evaluation of outcomes of activities and programmes directed to the tourism development.

7. As short-term and mid-term outcomes, it is necessary to consider implementation of the following goals:

(1) promote the growth of the population;

(2) promote gender equality, enhancement of the role of youth and vulnerable groups and expansion of the workforce;

(3) promote positive rural transformation and encourage civic and economic entrepreneurship;

(4) advance public-private partnership and active engagement of communities;

(5) improve communication, hard infrastructure, engage investments and ensure access to finance;

(6) promote the use of digital technologies and innovations;

(7) promote innovations in the development of goods and services, and encourage the formation and integration of value chain;

(8) promote more efficient use of natural resources by entities engaged in the tourism sector, ensuring sustainable development, reduce emissions and wastes;

(9) promote education and improve the abilities and skills of residents which will help to improve the quality of services that shall be provided in the tourism sector.

8. To meet the standards approved by this Order, the settlements contending for the status of tourism village need to:

(1) consider tourism development as a priority when rendering decisions by the Council of Elders or head of community;

(2) strictly follow the tourism destination management plan (if available), as well as study, introduce the recommendations presented as a result of monitoring and evaluation;

(3) closely co-operate with the organisation managing tourism destination and, when rendering decisions by the Council of Elders or head of community, take into consideration the proposals presented thereby (if available);

(4) be guided by the following documents when rendering decisions by the Council of Elders or head of community:

a. Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations;

b. recommendations of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation;

c. Report of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) regarding tourism trends and policy;

(5) identify the target groups of tourists who are interested in the attractiveness of the village and the proposed tourism products and experiences;

(6) identify the needs of target groups of tourists;

(7) prepare, in foreign languages, and disseminate advertising materials addressed to the target groups of tourists;

(8) develop and install guiding and informational signs, panels;

(9) consider the modern trends, tools and innovations used during the provision of tourism services in the short-term, mid-term and long-term perspective, particularly:

a. as a start, study these standards as a checklist of mandatory steps which will provide the opportunity to identify the challenges and opportunities of the settlement contending for the status of tourism village;

b. develop an action plan, giving preference to the overcoming of challenges, the introduction of innovations, the brand, the sustainable development of communities, the preservation of natural and cultural resources;

(10) organise and conduct courses and workshops for young specialists, pupils and students studying in educational institutions in order to shape and enhance the following abilities and skills, including:

a. introduction and application of innovative ideas;

b. entrepreneurship and engagement of investments;

c. presentation and advertising — on digital or on-line platforms — of the tourism village and the tourism product established locally.

MINIMUM STANDARDS REQUIRED FOR DECLARING AS TOURISM DESTINATIONS

1. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. The following main concepts shall be used in this Annex No 2:

(1) tourism destination — a certain geographical area coinciding or not coinciding with the boundaries of administrative-territorial division prescribed by point 29 of part 1 of Article 3 of the Law of the Republic of Armenia "On tourism" which — with the natural resources located within its territory, cultural attractions offered within its territory and its specialised infrastructure — offers a tourist an opportunity to avail of at least one type of tourism and may, by virtue of the services offered within its territory and the engagement of the entities providing those services, ensure, through specialised structures, servicing of the particular type of tourism, meets point 2 of this Annex No 2 and in which the standards provided for by Table 2 of this Annex No 2 have been introduced;

(2) affected beneficiaries — natural and legal persons or associations thereof prescribed by sub-point 2 of point 1 of Annex No 1, operating in the premises of certain settlements, administrative districts or administrative-territorial units included in the management plan of the tourism destination and approved by this Decision.

2. In order for a settlement, administrative district or administrative-territorial unit containing significant tourism resource, as well as the cluster thereof to become a tourism destination, they at least need to:

(1) serve as a tourism hub with certain commonalities that are in line with the potential of the locality concerned;

(2) have the tourist attractions of the unit, such as historical and cultural monuments, specially protected nature areas, natural monuments, landscape, hard infrastructure designed for hosting tourists, etc.;

(3) have a specific thematic direction for tourism;

(4) clearly express, in the legal documents adopted thereby, the will to become a tourism destination and, for this purpose, take measures to foster the preservation and development of human resources residing in the locality and in the region, traditions and intangible cultural assets;

(5) take measures to replenish the available tourism resources and associated hard infrastructure feeding or servicing them, contributing to the increase of duration of visit of tourists at the tourism destination;

(f) ensure public-private partnership.

3. The Tourism Committee of the Republic of Armenia shall, through a competent state administration body, forward the proposals regarding the availability of conditions provided for by point 2 of Annex No 2 approved by this Decision in the settlement, administrative district, administrative unit or the cluster thereof contending for becoming a tourism destination, to the Government of the Republic of Armenia for rendering a decision on declaring the settlement, administrative district or administrative-territorial unit containing that remarkable tourism resource, as a tourism destination.

4. The regulations prescribed by points 3, 5-6, sub-points 2-5 of point 4, sub-points 4-9 of point 7 of Annex No 1 — approved by this Order — shall apply to a tourism destination to the extent that they are relevant to the tourism destination, do not contradict the regulations prescribed by this Annex No 2 and arise from the peculiarity of the tourism destination.

5. As a long-term vision, establishment of the tourism destination shall aim in the concerned geographical area (locality) to:

(1) diversify the tourism offer of the Republic of Armenia;

(2) increase the number of well-developed tourist attractions;

(3) engage foreign investments for implementation of strategic goals for tourism and regional or local economic development;

(4) create new jobs and improve the welfare of residents of the tourism destination;

(5) increase the competitiveness of marzes of the Republic of Armenia.

6. As short-term and mid-term goals and means it is necessary to consider implementation of the following actions:

(1) create an institution, structure, body or legal entity ensuring implementation of steps and measures targeted at the implementation of short-term and mid-term goals, the operation whereof will be aimed at implementing the strategy for development of the tourism destination;

(2) strengthen the public-private partnership, management and the active involvement of communities;

(3) maintain and increase recognisability of tangible and intangible cultural heritage;

(4) actively engage the entities carrying out tourism activities in the public hearings and in the decision-making by local self-government bodies, and take into consideration and address issues and concerns that persons carrying out activities in the tourism sector record while supplying goods, providing services to tourists or carrying out activities for tourists directly or through mediation.

7. To meet the standards approved by this Order, the bodies with the competence to make decisions on behalf of the settlements contending for the status of tourism destination, must:

(1) co-operate with donor organisations to draft a development strategy for the tourism destination and conduct technical-economic and feasibility study, particularly to:

a. carry out, jointly with donor organisations, phased activities for establishing a tourism destination;

c. draft an action plan provided for by paragraph (b) of point 9 of Annex No 1 approved by this Decision;

(2) submit the drafted development strategies to the Public Investment Committee of the Republic of Armenia for approval;

(3) while drafting the development strategy, take into consideration the institutional capacities of the implementing structures, the social-economic, environmental, management, including risks arising during financial management and project implementation, and the procedures that are applied in the course of operation of the state administration system, including the procurement procedures, as well as, during planning, envisage the realistic and reasonable time limits needed for implementing actions thereof in accordance with the requirements prescribed by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia.