Armenia - Gem of Caucasus

1. The Opinions and Perceptions of Foreign
Tour Operators Toward Armenia
Gayane Dallakyan
CAPS Project Marketing Specialist
www.caps.am

3. Armenia should monitor and manage her
image…
We have to collaborate to get a consensus around the image so we can
develop an image improvement strategy.
• What do we want to be known for?
• How can we stand out from the crowd?
• What thoughts do we want to come to mind when
people hear the name of our country?
• What messages do we want to give to the outside
world?

4. Armenians see themselves
Culturally distinctive, homogeneous but diverse local characters
• Creative, innovative
• Individualistic
• Hardworking, industrious
• Respectful of others
• Family oriented, Christian ethos, loyal
• Humorous, optimistic
• Honest, trustworthy
• Charitable
• Survivors

5. Armenia: Cloud of Thoughts

6. Managing Armenia’s image is a MUST
!Promote positives ! Change unjustified
negatives
!
Forget about justified negatives, until they are resolved

7. Audit of key factors is necessary for image management
• Satisfaction rate
– Armenian partner
– Accommodations
– Attractions
• Country perceptions
– Prices
– Infrastructure
– Food quality
– Customer service ethic
– Foreign language speakers for visitors
– Promotions, communications and information dissemination
• Communication phrases
– Unique selling points
– Tag lines
– Popular traits characterizing Armenia and Armenian nation

8. CAPS had conducted survey among foreign
tour operators
Questionnaire …
Analysis …
Discussions …

9. Survey distributed
to over 300,000
foreign tour
operators allover
the world

10. 331 Foreign tour operators from
31 countries participated the survey
• 31 countries
86% never offered trips
– 22% USA
to Armenia
– 22% Russian Federation
– 11% Italy
– 8% France
– 6% India

11. Foreign tour operators have over 5 years business history
with Armenia
• 16+ years of operation (43%)
• No repeat clients to Armenia (68.5%)
• First tours to Armenia undertook prior 2005
(39.7%)
• 1-3 departures in 2008 (67.1%)
• 60% offer just Armenia

12. 90.6% wants to visit or establish tours to
Armenia!
Currently organizing trips to Armenia 29.3%
Not offering trips to Armenia 70.7%
Previously offered 12.0%
Previously not offered 88.0%

13. 90.6% wants to visit or establish tours to
Armenia!
Reasons for not offering
Reasons for stopping
Lack of information on the destination 26.3%
Unreliable local partner 8.3%
No interest or demand from Insufficient promotion of Armenia in
18.4%
37.5% international media
clientele
No contacts with regional/local tour
Too expensive for clients 12.5% 21.5%
operators
Armenia too difficult to get to 16.7% No interest from clientele 10.6%
Clients not satisfied with the Too expensive 2.4%
0.0%
destination and experience Too difficult to get to 7.3%
Doesn’t fit with current portfolio of
5.7%
itineraries or types of tour we offer

14. Other reasons
Armenia is not on the map,
it has no brand
• Language problem, food problems
• Normally our clients like to cover maximum
places in short time at affordable cost
• Doubts about quality of accommodation for up
market clientele
• We organize tours only by clientele request

15. 66% fully satisfied from the professionalism and
courtesy of the Armenian partner
• At the beginning they were sometimes slow in replying, but then
communications improved and became quicker, especially in the
last two years
• Very good responses from our clients having travelled to Armenia
• Is also aware of occasional problems that
we face, and still is arranging for us to sell
more and better

16. Inform us more about hotels offerings
‘Need more 'Fairfield Inn' type of facilities for
groups’
• Is satisfactory for the needs of our
clients but is expensive for the
quality of the facilities and services
provided. The facilities are
somewhat limited and customer
service could be improved but the
accommodation is clean (48.6%)

17. Emphasize Cultural Heritage
Contract with Disney for their expertise on
improving what you have to make them more
'enticing’
• Are clearly of national and regional
cultural value and are generally well
presented for visiting tourists. However,
small improvements could be made to
impart greater information or in the
provision of basic tourist facilities (food,
toilets, etc) (60.9%)

18. Need to revise prices, they are expensive for the region
NOT ALWAYS are they worth the requested cost
• Be overpriced. The
facilities and services are
generally good but not
worth the costs that are
being charged (59.6%)

19. Armenia’s experience is
the same or better 84%
Georgia
• Countries similar to Armenia Turkey
Azerbaijan
Russia

20. Hopefully economy will improve
the whole infrastructure
• Road conditions out of Yerevan are bad
• Quality of busses is low
• Lack of English signs

21. Provide more information about food
Not yet "macdonaldized"
• Great food and other
cultural heritage
• Almost organic food
• Delicious food
• Exotic food
• Lavash
• Cognac

22. Increase service level
• Lack of adequate service at the hotels
• Constant control & quality checks
• Decrease the prices for service’

23. Difficulties With the Language
• Language problem
• Add English signs to public transportation
• Add different language signs at tourist attractions

24. Unadvertised, Inactive,
Lack of Information
• Communicate nature, history, food, attractions,
hotels, tourist routes!!!
• More visibility in the medias
• Public awareness within Armenia

25. Unique Selling Points
Its stunning monasteries, desolate and beautiful
• Abundance of Historical Sites!
• Inviting cultural sites!
• Pre Christian mythology!
• Its wonderful mountains and scenery!
• Mountain landscapes of the Caucasus!
• Landscapes and religious monuments!
• Very available people!
• They have a great faith!
• People very attached to their history!
• Great cafes and restaurants (if smoke and noise
reduced)
History and Culture Landscape People Food

26. The Hidden Gem of the Caucasus Tag lines
• A hidden unexpected wonder!
• Come and we will surprise you!
• Armenia leaves its mark in your heart!
• Experience the unique!
• Armenia ... Oh Yes!
• A trip into the past!
• Visit your ancestral home!
• A place where memories are centuries ...!
• Experience unique culture and arts!
• Armenia land of great culture!
• A trip to the dawn of Christianity!
• Land of hospitality and culture!
• You are among friends in an awesome setting!
• Land of hospitality and culture!
Different and hidden History and Culture Christianity People

27. Breathtakingly different
• Mostly ethnic/religious travel
• Rich Heritage and culture going back to centuries
• Amazing experience of culture/people/brandy!!
• Combination east meet west
• Fantastic landscapes and mountain passes
• Soft adventure paradise
• People are very warm and hospitable
• Traditions toward family: fathers and children
• So close, so different
• Culinary surprises
• Exotic food
• Spiritually rich
• Ancient Christian tradition
History and Landscape People Geographical Food Christianity
Culture location

28. Armenia Public opinion Armenian people
Open air museum on
silk route Resourceful,
intelligent thinking
• Isolated and traditional
• New, untouched • Honoring family traditions
destination - respect to elderly and
• Uniquely original special altitude to
86% never offered trips
• Hidden elegance children!
• Film Festival (therefore • Less money but bigger
to Armenia
culture) hearts
• Soviet style dances as • Ease in dialogue
entertainment • Exotic (for northern
• Exotic and wild landscapes people) beauty
• Diverse kitchen

29. What they complain about
Cars honking too often needlessly
disturbing the peace
• Limited choice of
accommodation
• Road conditions right out of
Yerevan bad’
• Overpriced
• Diversity of food
• High airfare
• Cigarette smoke in restaurants

30. Their concern
Are there only monasteries to see
• 1. Safety, security
– Is it safe there or not?
• Food
– Quality of food?
• Prices
– Too expensive
• Not sure what to do
– Are there only monasteries to see?
• Not known
– Where is it?

31. Opinions to consider
Armenian nation should come forward and
promote as a tourist destination
• It is not interesting to look at ruins
• Misleading use of Mt. Ararat in promotional material
• Limited infrastructure (few hotels except Yerevan)
• Not with global business attitude
• Bad reputation for human trafficking
• Almost completely internationally unknown
• Harmful
• Unsafe

32. Other opinions to ignore
Is it worth it and do they have what
it takes to be on the tourist map?
• History of earthquakes and genocide
• Lost kingdoms & empires
• Land Locked Country, no access to neighboring countries
• The whole genocide/Turkish/nationalist thing
• Unprofitable
• Tourism service is not developed
• Tourism in its infancy
• Underdeveloped
• Not so open to international community
• Not clean

33. SWOT: Strengths
• Perceived as exotic • Magnificent scenery
• Culturally rich • English spoken
• Historically significant • Cradle of Christianity
• Hospitable people • Low crime rate
• Recognisable brand

34. SWOT: Weaknesses
• Relatively unknown • Limited tourism
infrastructure
• Under-developed image
• In a global hot spot --
• Niche – History and Caucasus
culture
• Expensive to fly to
• Few products on the
market • Distance from Europe

35. SWOT: Opportunities
• Easy to define image if • Potential beyond history
unknown: Armenia cache and culture
• Play on exotic nature &
hospitality: Surprise • Armenia has a lot to be
creative with: adventure
& food
• Potential of Diaspora –
double-edged sword
• Chance to promote real
sustainable tourism
• Tourism ambassadors via
celebrities • Use Turkish border &
Karabakh to Armenia’s
• Festivals, events & religious advantage
tourism

36. SWOT: Threats
• Limited product – • Relatively unknown –
traditional tours & any bad news can
routes swamp good
• Economic downturn – • Land and air access
destination
retrenchment • Ignoring potential
markets
• Limited knowledge
about what global • Seasonality
markets want

37. There must be support and enthusiasm from
the government and the private sector
Desired image must be close to reality,
powerful, simple, appealing, and distinctive

38. There is a possibility of the next steps
• Good perceptions and images can be used to create articles and
press releases (NCFA)
• Results of the survey can be presented separately to:
– Hotels
– Cultural heritage site managers
– Tour operators
• Positive opinions and perceptions can be used to promote
Armenia’s image through articles, press releases.
• Maybe NCFA will repeat the survey in a year or
two