Armenia’s Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan took part in a panel discussion titled “Medical Tourism in a New Era: Opportunities, Lessons Learned and Challenges” during the International Conference on Medical Tourism. He used the event to present the steps being taken to advance medical tourism in Armenia.
According to the minister, the effort is focused on three main areas. The first is improving Armenia’s international accessibility by expanding air links and simplifying visa procedures.
The second area is the development of medical and tourism infrastructure. This includes support programs for equipment purchases, as well as the construction and reconstruction of hotels and resorts.
The third area is the creation of new tourism destinations in the regions through seven tourism clusters envisaged under the TRIP program, including in the field of medical tourism.
Papoyan said the development of medical tourism matters not only for improving the accessibility and quality of healthcare services, but also for Armenia’s economy. In his view, the sector can open up new opportunities for investment, services exports, job creation and other areas of economic development.
According to the Ministry of Economy’s press service, the panel discussion also featured Montenegro’s Minister of Tourism Simonida Kordic, Armenia’s Deputy Health Minister Samvel Kharazyan, Chief Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zare Sinanyan, and Siddhartha Sankar Datta, head of the World Health Organization office in Armenia.
