The Tourism Committee of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia reports that the statements attributed to the Chairman of the Committee by the press that a requirement has been submitted to hotel service providers to have a separate prayer room for representatives of other religions do not correspond to reality.
The Tourism Committee reports this, noting:
“Let us present the fact: on February 5, 2020, during a meeting with hotel service providers at the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia, the list of target countries for 2025 was presented to business entities, from which the maximum number of tourists is expected to visit the Republic of Armenia.
The Chairman of the Tourism Committee, emphasizing the need to strengthen the image of Armenia as a favorable and attractive tourist country in the target countries, informed that hotel service providers who want to ensure an increase in tourist visits from the Gulf Cooperation Council and other Arab countries in the facilities they operate, if possible, can provide tourists with offers in accordance with their food preferences or religious requirements.
This text does not require hotel operators to have prayer rooms in their facilities. We also inform you that the activities of persons providing hotel services are not licensed, therefore, it is not possible to deprive them of their licenses.
The Law "On Tourism" provides for the notification of only the activities of persons providing hotel services. Therefore, we call on our media partners to refrain from publications that mislead the public with unverified, defamatory information, and incite unnecessary tension.
