British Council Armenia announced English language courses for the tourism industry in the three northern regions of Armenia. The courses are organised within the EU4Business “Innovative Tourism and Technology Development for Armenia (ITTD)’’ project, which is co-funded by the European Union and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ. The official launch of the initiative was given on November 26 in the garden of ITTD Northern office in Dilijan.

The project beneficiaries are the organisations and businesses operating in tourism sector of Tavush, Lori and Shirak regions of Armenia and include tour operators and agencies, tourism information centres, cultural centres, recreational services, hotels, hospitality and transportation services, public institutions. In total, around 140 beneficiaries will be included in the project.

The classes will focus on the following skills and will be adjusted based on the needs assessment: spoken communication, listening comprehension, reading and writing, and grammar.

Team Leader of the EU4Business “Innovative Tourism and Technology Development for Armenia (ITTD)’’ project Wilhelm Hugo said: " Armenia has great potential for the tourism development, and I am happy to see a growing number of new tourism enterprises in various regions. The development of the private sector is a priority for us, as it is a key factor for economic growth. Therefore, we greatly support private ventures in the tourism sector. At the same time, many efforts are being put to raise the awareness about Armenia abroad as an attractive tourism destination. Such conditions require that tourism enterprises are ready to receive foreign tourists at a high level. A good knowledge of English is one of the first steps towards this. We are delighted to work in close cooperation with the British Council on this wonderful initiative."

Country Director at British Council Armenia Arevik Saribekyan said: "The tourism industry has been one of the fast-growing sectors in the Armenian economy in the past few years resulting in developing infrastructures, services and tourism attractions. While Armenia becomes an attractive destination for international tourists, the importance of English language is growing for the organisations and businesses to be able to sell their services, provide high quality experiences to their customers and to communicate effectively. I am happy that the British Council is partnering with GIZ in this important mission for excelling tourism industry in the three northern regions of Armenia.