LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA ON TOURISM

Text of the Official Translation

LAW

OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

Adopted on 22 December 2023

ON TOURISM

CHAPTER 1

GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. This Law shall regulate the fundamentals of the state policy in the tourism sector, the relations pertaining to the requirements for persons carrying out activities therein, as well as the recreation, tour of natural persons.

1. Tourism activities in the Republic of Armenia shall be regulated by the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, the Civil Code of the Republic of Armenia, this Law, international treaties and other legal acts of the Republic of Armenia.

1. The following main concepts shall be used in this Law:

(1) visitor — a natural person who, for any purpose (business, recreational or personal), travels to a place other than that of his or her permanent place of residence for a period of up to one year, except for the cases of engagement in work or service paid for by a natural person or an organisation that is a resident in the place of destination.

Natural persons who travel for the purpose of frontier, seasonal or other short-term work, remote (digital) work in any field, diplomatic, consular, military services, receiving long-term (one year and more) education, long-term (one year and more) medical aid and service shall not be deemed to be a visitor;

(2) tourist — a visitor who makes at least one overnight stay in the place of destination, but the travel lasts up to one year;

(3) same-day visitor — a visitor who does not make at least one overnight stay in the place of destination;

(4) association of persons providing tourism services — a non-commercial organisation established under the legislation of the Republic of Armenia, which unifies one or more types of persons providing tourism services or represents the interests of those persons and in case of being selected as prescribed by this Law qualifies tourism services or entities of hotel industry;

(5) tourism — travelling to a place other than that of the permanent place of residence for a period of up to one year for cognitive, recreational purposes, visiting the relatives, wellness, rehabilitation, business, education, religious purposes, receiving medical aid and service, participating in conferences, celebrations, exhibitions, events of cultural, environmental, operational significance and of other nature, as well as for other purposes;

(6) resident of the Republic of Armenia — a natural person deemed to be a resident within the meaning of point 5 of part 1 of Article 3 of the Law “On currency regulation and currency control”;

(7) non-resident of the Republic of Armenia — a natural person deemed to be a non-resident within the meaning of point 6 of part 1 of Article 3 of the Law “On currency regulation and currency control”;

(8) inbound tourism — tourism by non-residents of the Republic of Armenia within the territory of the Republic of Armenia;

(9) outbound tourism — tourism by residents of the Republic of Armenia outside the territory of the Republic of Armenia;

(10) domestic tourism — tourism by residents of the Republic of Armenia within the territory of the Republic of Armenia;

(11) tourism services shall be as follows:

a. passenger transportation;

b. hotel;

c. excursion;

d. motor vehicle rental;

e. any other service provided or offered to a tourist, which is not an integral part of the services referred to in sub-points “a”- “d” of this point;

(12) tour package — a complex of at least two different types of tourism services during the same visit, where the tourism services are combined (including upon the choice of a tourist) by the same entity of tourism activities before concluding a unified contract on tour package or, in case of concluding separate contracts, those tourism services:

a. are acquired by the same entity of tourism activities and combined before giving consent to transaction payment; or

b. are offered, sold or the payment for them is made at the full price of the contract, whereas in case of separate contracts – at the sum total of those contracts (inclusive price); or

c. are advertised and sold with the use of the term “tour package” or another similar term; or

d. are combined upon the choice of a tourist after concluding the contract with the tourist; or

e. are acquired from different entities of tourism activities through interrelated on-line reservation procedures, when the personal data, e-mail address and payment conditions of the tourist are transferred by the person having concluded the first contract to third persons providing services, whereas contracts with third persons providing services are concluded within 24 hours after the confirmation of the tourism service;

(13) contract on tour package —single unified or separate contracts that include the conditions of tourism services provided during the same visit;

(14) start of tour package — the date of commencement of providing the services included in the tour package;

(15) tour — a complex of at least two different tourism services offered or sold at one total price but not including an overnight stay, and carried out within 24 hours;

(16) tourism resources — historical and cultural, religious, natural, human, wellness, socio-economic, infrastructural and other resources aimed at meeting the intellectual, material, physical and other needs of tourists, which may be a tourism product or object of attraction or be included in a tour package;

(17) tourism product — one or more tourism resources or services offered to a tourist;

(18) entity of tourism activities — a tour operator or a travel agent;

(19) tour operator — a legal person that forms and sells or offers — directly or through another entity of tourism activity or acting jointly with another entity of tourism activity — a tour package, tour or other separate tourism services or transfers the tourist's data to another entity of tourism activity, pursuant to sub-point "e" of point 12 of this Article;

(20) travel agent — a legal person not deemed to be a tour operator or an individual entrepreneur that provides tourism-related advice to an individual tourist or a group of tourists or offers or sells a tour package or individual tourism services formed by a tour operator;

(21) inbound travel agent — a travel agent organising inbound tourism;

(22) domestic travel agent — a travel agent organising domestic tourism;

(23) outbound travel agent — a travel agent organising outbound tourism;

(24) tour guide — a person having received a professional qualification provided for by this Law, who provides the tourists with the information on archaeology, history, achievements, nature, geography, structure of the state, tourism product, identity, culture, lifestyle of the Armenian people and national minorities and, within the scope of tour itinerary, provides services related to tourist reception, room assignment, placement, organisation of catering and other services;

(25) guide — a person with the professional qualification provided for by this Law, who, within the scope of tour itinerary provided by the entity of tourism activities, accompanies tourists, ensures the timely and proper quality service provision and/or performs instruction and support functions related to safety rules during itineraries that involve the risk of physical injury, conditioned by the peculiarities of the locality;

(26) tour bus — a vehicle with at least 9 seats (except for the driver’s seat) and a qualification of tour bus, by which a non-regular transportation of tourists is carried out;

(27) tour itinerary — an itinerary that combines objects and places of tourist attraction;

(28) tourist passenger transporter — a legal person or an individual entrepreneur that carries out non-regular tourist transportations by tour buses;

(29) tourist destination — a settlement, administrative district or administrative and territorial unit containing a significant tourism resource prescribed by the decision of the Government, as well as the combination thereof;

(30) tourist destination management plan — a programme for sustainable development and management of a tourist destination in the mid-term and long-term perspective, which may consist of development programmes for separate settlements, administrative districts, or administrative and territorial units included in the tourist destination;

(31) tourist destination management organisation — a legal person the functions whereof are prescribed by the charter of that organisation and may include assessing the capacity of tourism resources, increasing the recognisability of the tourist destination, guiding the flows of tourists to that destination and sustainable development of tourism destinations in co-operation with the state and local self-government bodies;

(32) tourism experience — organising or holding practical or theoretical trainings or courses held with the involvement of a tourist under the direction or instruction of a person requiring special knowledge or skills in the field of culture, handicraft, cooking or art or craft or other field in places specifically adapted for the demonstration or transfer of that knowledge, through which the tourist may gain knowledge or skills in that field, concurrently becoming familiar with the Armenian culture and traditions or those of national minorities;

(33) tourism village — a rural settlement with significant tourism resources, prescribed by the decision of the Government;

(34) entity of hotel industry — an entity provided for by Article 12 of this Law;

(35) person providing hotel services — a legal person or a natural person deemed to be an individual entrepreneur, that holds or manages and operates an entity of hotel industry by the right of ownership, lease or gratuitous use or management or by another right provided for by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia;

(36) hotel room — a separated property unit equipped for a tourist’s stay (overnight stay) in an entity of hotel industry;

(37) consumer — a natural person making use of the provision of tourism services;

(38) tourist information centre — a legal person that provides — through leaflets, maps and other written information materials — the consumer with free-of-charge impartial and adequate information on the tourism attractions of the Republic of Armenia, their locations, as well as the tourism services provided in the Republic of Armenia, without providing a tourism service;

(39) tourism activity — an activity of providing tourism services by legal persons, individual entrepreneurs.

CHAPTER 2

STATE POLICY IN THE TOURISM SECTOR

1. In the tourism sector, the Government shall:

(1) approve support programmes for legal persons and individual entrepreneurs operating in the tourism sector;

(2) adopt decisions on declaring tourist destinations, tourism villages, approve the management plan thereof, taking into account the provisions of the programmes approved by local self-government bodies;

(3) define the quality and technical criteria for the provision of tourism services containing a threat to human life or health;

(4) approve the strategy for tourism development;

(5) exercise other powers provided for by this Law and other laws.

1. In the tourism sector, the state authorised body shall:

(1) approve the annual programmes for tourism development, the schedules of actions for implementing the programmes and the cost estimates of the actions for implementing the programmes;

(2) approve the minimum standards required for declaring as tourist destinations or tourism villages, including special urban development and environmental norms, development objectives, issues, actions by defining, where necessary, norms deriving from the peculiarities of separate geographic areas for these areas;

(3) approve tour itineraries;

(4) approve the qualification standards, procedures for tourism experiences, the procedure for issuing a qualification certificate, the grounds for termination of the qualification, the forms of the qualification certificates and of distinctive emblems;

(5) approve the procedure for record-registration of tour operators included in the service of ensuring recreation within the social package, inclusion thereof in the electronic reporting system of the service of ensuring recreation within the social package, and removal of record-registered tour operators from record-registration;

(6) exercise other powers provided for by this Law and other regulatory legal acts.

1. The Tourism Committee (hereinafter referred to as “the Committee”) shall be the competent state body vested with the powers prescribed by this Law in the tourism sector.

2. The Committee shall:

(1) elaborate and submit to the head of the state authorised body the draft secondary regulatory legal acts subject to approval (definition) by the Government and the state authorised body under this Law, co-operating with the state and local self-government bodies and the private sector, where necessary;

(2) elaborate the strategy for the tourism sector, the annual development programmes, the schedules of actions for implementing the programmes and the cost estimates of the actions for implementing the programmes, and ensure the implementation and monitoring thereof;

(3) submit recommendations necessary for declaring the status of tourist destination or tourism village to the local self-government bodies for discussion;

(4) submit recommendations on the development of tourism to the state and local self-government bodies;

(5) maintain the electronic register of persons providing tourism services;

(6) maintain the register of tourism resources;

(7) within the scope of international co-operation, elaborate recommendations on inter-agency contracts in the tourism sector and submit them to the competent state administration body for discussion, as well as represents the interests of the Republic of Armenia in relations with foreign partners;

(8) organise informational, advertising and publishing activities for tourism;

(9) elaborate the content of the advertisement regarding the tourism product of the Republic of Armenia and be responsible for the accuracy of the content of the information found in advertisements, leaflets, publications drawn up or ordered thereby, inclusion of information containing insult or slander therein, violating the legislation of the Republic of Armenia or the provisions of concluded contracts;

(10) provide, upon requests, information on the tourism product of the Republic of Armenia to the state and local self-government bodies, legal persons and individual entrepreneurs;

(11) carry out activities aimed at supporting the preparation or training of human resources in order to increase the quality of services in the tourism sector;

(12) carry out, in co-operation with the relevant authorised body, activities aimed at supporting the preparation or training of human resources in order to make tourism services accessible for persons with disabilities;

(13) carry out qualification of tour guides, guides, tour buses, tourist destination management organisations, tourist information centres and tourism experiences;

(14) ensure the activities of periodic evaluation of qualified tour guides, guides, tour buses, tourist destination management organisations, tourist information centres and tourism experiences;

(15) carry out the activities of record-registration of tour operators within the scope of the service of ensuring recreation within the social package;

(16) conduct marketing surveys, analyses (including foreign markets);

(17) represent the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian tourism product (including advertising and informative materials) in the global market, by promoting it through participation in international events (including specialised exhibitions), press, social networks, electronic marketing and other means of public relations;

(18) submit to the competent state administration body recommendations on the criteria of economic and urban development activities in tourist destinations, tourism villages and other places of important significance for tourism;

(19) approve the procedure for maintaining its official website;

(20) exercise other functions provided for by this Law and other regulatory legal acts.

CHAPTER 3

ELECTRONIC REGISTER ON PERSONS PROVIDING TOURISM SERVICES AND REGISTER OF TOURISM RESOURCES

1. The purpose of maintaining the electronic register shall be to contribute, through collecting, processing and providing information provided for by part 2 of this Article, to:

(1) protection of consumer rights and interests;

(2) elaboration of an effective state policy in the tourism sector by the Republic of Armenia.

2. The content, procedure for and forms of submission and maintenance of the information of providers of tourism services registered in the electronic register shall be prescribed by the Government.

1. The procedure for maintaining the register of tourism resources, the content of the database thereof shall be prescribed by the head of the state authorised body.

2. The state administration and local self-government bodies of the Republic of Armenia shall, within the scope of their competences, be obliged to provide the Committee with the information on the tourism resources during the process of maintaining the register of tourism resources.

CHAPTER 4

PERSONS PROVIDING TOURISM SERVICES, QUALIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION THEREOF

1. The qualification in the tourism sector shall be the confirmation —by the state authorised body or associations of persons providing tourism services in cases prescribed by this Law — of compliance of the entity of hotel industry, tour bus, tourist destination management organisation, tourist information centre, tour guide, guide, and tourism experiences with the criteria and requirements prescribed by this Law and the secondary regulatory legal acts adopted on the basis thereof.

2. Based on the results of qualification, the entity of hotel industry shall be granted with the qualification grade prescribed by this Law and the secondary regulatory legal acts adopted on the basis thereof, whereas the tourist destination management organisation, tourist information centre, tour guide, guide, tour bus and tourism experiences — with qualification, or the granting of qualification or qualification grade shall be rejected.

3. In case the qualification or the qualification grade is granted, a qualification certificate in the form prescribed by this Law and the secondary regulatory legal acts adopted on the basis thereof shall be issued.

4. The granting of the qualification or the qualification grade shall be rejected where the entity of hotel industry, tour bus, tourist destination management organisation, tourist information centre, tour guide, guide or tourism experiences:

(1) does not comply with the criteria and requirements prescribed by this Law and the secondary regulatory legal acts adopted on the basis thereof;

(2) has failed to notify in case of having the responsibility to notify as prescribed by the Law “On notification of carrying out activities” or the activity has terminated, where there is a requirement to notify;

(3) false or incomplete documents have been submitted for the qualification or the submitted documents reflect unreliable information.

5. The entity of hotel industry, tour bus, tourist destination management organisation, tourist information centre, tour guide, guide, and tourism experiences shall be deprived of the qualification or the qualification grade granted as prescribed by this Law, where the grounds prescribed by points 1 and 2 of part 4 of this Article have emerged.

1. Persons providing tourism services shall be:

(1) person providing hotel services;

(2) tour operator;

(3) travel agent;

(4) tour guide;

(5) guide;

(6) person providing passenger transportation service by tour bus;

(7) persons providing other services prescribed by point 11 of Article 3 of this Law.

2. Activities of persons providing tourism services, provided for by points 1-5 of part 1 of this Article, shall be subject to notification as prescribed by the Law “On notification of carrying out activities”.

1. Hotel services shall be the services related to organisation of room assignment, overnight stay, catering in the entities of hotel industry, as well as the services prescribed by part 2 of this Article.

2. Minimum hotel services shall be as follows:

1) providing accommodation and toilet facilities;

2) cleaning the accommodation and toilet facilities and making the bed.

1. A hotel shall be an entity of hotel industry where hotel services are provided, and where there are at least 10 hotel rooms of which at least 3 are single or double rooms.

2. An aparthotel shall be a construction adapted to provide hotel services, having a kitchen area and furnished with appropriate equipment, designed for consumers with a relatively long period of stay, which is not intended for permanent residence of consumers.

3. A motel shall be an entity of hotel industry located near inter-state and republican roads, consisting of one or more constructions or being part of a construction, having at least 6 hotel rooms (single or double), and where hotel services are provided. Motels, as a rule, provide also car parking and technical maintenance services.

4. A sanatorium shall be an entity of hotel industry where, in addition to minimum hotel services, special category services (sanatorium, therapeutic, rehabilitation) are provided as well, and medical aid and service are also provided where a relevant license provided for by law is available.

5. A hostel shall be an entity of hotel industry where, in addition to minimum hotel services, self-service functions are provided. The hostel shall have at least 10 bunks for staying the night.

6. A specialised campsite or house shall be a mobile or stationary entity of hotel industry where or in the vicinity of which hotel services are provided to persons specialised in a certain field (cultural, archaeological, agricultural, environmental, children and youth (for school-age tourists), sports, hunting, fishing, mountain climbing, etc.).

7. A resort (boarding house) shall be an entity of hotel industry which, as a rule, is visited for having leisure time, vacation and other forms of recreation and where, in addition to minimum hotel services, catering services are organised and provided at least 3 times a day.

8. Camping shall be an entity of hotel industry where services for organising overnight stay and catering are provided using movable property or in tents.

9. Bed and breakfast (B&B) shall be a house or an apartment owned and used by an individual (host) and intended for residence where minimum hotel services in combination with breakfast are provided by creating conditions for hosting tourists. As a rule, the host shall reside in that house, whereas the breakfast is cooked by the host or a family member thereof.

10. A guest house shall be a residential house or a separate construction or a set of constructions providing hotel services, which has a maximum of 9 separated hotel rooms in total.

1. Hotel services shall be provided exclusively within entities of hotel industry.

2. Entities of hotel industry may be qualified. The qualification of entities of hotel industry shall be voluntary.

3. The technical requirements, specifications, the procedure and criteria for qualification of entities of hotel industry, the form and validity period of the qualification certificate shall be prescribed by the Government.

4. The qualification of entities of hotel industry shall be carried out by an association of persons providing tourism services, selected as prescribed by this Article, except for the case prescribed by part 8 of this Article.

5. The criteria and procedure for selection of the association of persons providing tourism services, qualifying entities of hotel industry, shall be approved by the Government.

6. The requirement for qualification of entities of hotel industry shall be considered as met if they have an international qualification meeting the criteria prescribed by a decision of the Government.

7. Following the selection, an association of persons providing tourism services selected through competition shall agree the amendments to its charter with the Committee, where these amendments may lead to or affect the qualification function.

8. In case a competition for selection of an association of persons providing tourism services, prescribed by part 4 of this Article, does not take place, the selection results are declared as invalid or it is impossible to organise the selection through competition upon other grounds, the qualification of an entity of hotel industry shall be carried out by the Committee, based on a positive opinion of the Commission established by the order of the head of the state authorised body.

1. The head of the state authorised body shall approve the minimum requirements of the internal regulations of persons providing hotel services.

2. An opportunity for persons with disabilities to enjoy hotel services and receive information on services shall be insured in newly-built hotels and sanatoriums, and the information about it shall be posted and constantly kept in areas visible to guests.

1. The Government shall prescribe rules and requirements for provision of tourism services by entities of tourism activities.

2. An entity of tourism activities shall be obliged to submit, along with a notification, documents on its compliance with the rules and requirements prescribed by part 1 of this Article.

3. A tour operator shall be obliged to submit, along with the notification prescribed by the Law “On notification of carrying out activities”, a guarantee provided for by this Article, if it plans to provide outbound tourism-related services.

4. An outbound tour agent shall be obliged to provide, along with the notification prescribed by the Law “On notification of carrying out activities”, a guarantee, except for the case prescribed by part 5 of this Article.

5. An outbound travel agent shall not provide a guarantee, if it offers or sells exclusively tour packages developed by the tour operator or provides such services on behalf of the tour operator.

6. The form, purpose, size, frequency, procedure for submission of the guarantee submitted by the tour operator and the outbound travel agent, the sample text of the guarantee, information about organisations providing guarantee, the procedure for filing a claim under the guarantee, distribution of the amount of the guarantee and termination of the guarantee shall be prescribed by the Government.

7. The tour operator and the outbound travel agent may submit guarantees provided exclusively by banks, branches of foreign banks, credit organisations or insurance companies registered and licensed in the territory of the Republic of Armenia, if these guarantees meet the conditions for guarantees prescribed by this Law and the secondary regulatory legal acts adopted based thereon.

8. The guarantee shall not be subject to withdrawal. The guarantee shall ensure the obligations assumed by the tour operator or outbound travel agent against consumers.

9. The Republic of Armenia, represented by the state authorised body, shall act as a creditor (beneficiary) under a guarantee. Under a guarantee, a claim shall be submitted to the person having issued the guarantee by the state authorised body on behalf of the Republic of Armenia

10. A claim shall be submitted under a guarantee if the tour operator or the outbound travel agent having provided the guarantee fails to fulfil or fulfils improperly or refuses to fulfil the obligations assumed against the consumer, as a result of which the departure of a tourist or a person who is a resident of the Republic of Armenia or return thereof to the Republic of Armenia has become impossible.

1. In order to organise tour itinerary in the territory of the Republic of Armenia, tour operators, inbound and domestic travel agents (including tour operators and travel agents with foreign registration) shall be obliged to transport users of their services from one place to another or organise the tour itinerary only by tour buses, if the number of these persons is equal to or exceeds 9.

2. Tour buses shall be qualified. The qualification of tour buses shall be mandatory.

3. The technical requirements for qualification of tour buses, specifications, qualification procedure, and standards thereof, forms of the qualification certificate and the sign, the validity period of the qualification certificate, the procedure for granting the certificate, and the grounds for termination of qualification shall be prescribed by the Government.

4. The sign in the form prescribed by the Government, provided for by part 3 of this Article, shall be placed on the windshield of a tour bus, in a visible place.

1. State and local self-government bodies of the Republic of Armenia shall be obliged to separate at least three parking spaces for tour buses in the areas adjacent to tourist attractions located within the administrative boundaries of the community, if these areas are considered to be state-owned or community-owned property and the prohibitions for rendering such a decision, prescribed by Law, are missing.

2. The parking spaces prescribed by part 1 of this Article shall be organised next to an object of tourist attraction, at the same time without hindering public entry and exit.

1. Tour guides and guides shall be qualified. The qualification of tour guides and guides shall be mandatory.

2. The qualification requirements for tour guides and guides, the qualification procedure, training program, procedure, frequency and time periods, the form and validity period of the qualification certificate, forms of badges of tour guides and guides, areas of specialisation, and grounds for termination of qualification shall be prescribed by the Government.

3. Activities of tour guides and guides in the Republic of Armenia shall be subject to notification as prescribed by the Law "On notification of carrying out activities", except when these persons perform the functions of a tour guide or guide, under an employment or civil law contract in an organisation operating or managing an object of tourist attraction.

4. Notified tour guides and guides shall be obliged to participate in professional qualification and training courses for tour guides and guides, conducted by persons registered in the National Register of Training, through the procedure, at the frequency and within the time periods prescribed by a Decision of the Government.

1. Tourist destination management organisations shall be qualified. The qualification of tourist destination management organisations shall be mandatory.

2. Tourist information centres may be qualified. The qualification of tourist information centres shall be voluntary.

3. The qualification procedure, criteria (including minimum requirements regarding the functions and structure of a tourist destination management organisation) for tourist destination management organisations, the form of the qualification certificate, the validity period of the qualification certificate, the procedure for granting the certificate, and the grounds for termination of qualification shall be prescribed by the Government.

4. A qualified tourist information centres shall be granted distinctive emblems. The procedure for qualification of tourist information centres and the form, standards of the distinctive emblem, the form of the qualification certificate, the validity period of the qualification certificate, the procedure for granting the certificate, and the grounds for termination of qualification shall be prescribed by the Government.

CHAPTER 5

PROVISION OF TOURISM SERVICES

1. The provision of tourism services provided for by points 1-5 of part 1 of Article 10 of this Law shall be prohibited in the territory of the Republic of Armenia, unless the person intending to provide tourism services has notified as prescribed by the Law “On notification of carrying out activities”.

2. A tour guide may carry out activities as:

(1) an individual entrepreneur or

(2) a natural person that is not an individual entrepreneur, if he or she provides services of a tour guide based on a written employment or civil law contract concluded with an entity of tourism activities.

3. A tour guide may provide only services of a tour guide, except for the case prescribed by part 4 of this Article.

4. When acting as an individual entrepreneur, a tour guide may provide other tourism services, if he or she meets the requirements prescribed for the given type of tourism services by this Law and the secondary regulatory legal acts adopted based thereon, and has notified as prescribed by the Law “On notification of carrying out activities”.

5. A guide may carry out activities as:

(1) an individual entrepreneur or

(2) a natural person that is not an individual entrepreneur, if he or she provides services of a guide based on a written employment or civil law contract concluded with an entity of tourism activities.

6. A guide may provide only services of a guide, except for the case provided for by part 7 of this Article.

7. When acting as an individual entrepreneur, the guide may provide other tourism services, if he or she meets the requirements prescribed for the given type of tourism services by this Law and the secondary regulatory legal acts adopted based thereon, and has notified as prescribed by the Law "On notification of carrying out activities”.

8. It shall be prohibited to make targeted offers for providing tourism services to one or more persons in public places, aiming at convincing or forcing these persons to use the tourism service, if the person making the offers does not have the right to provide tourism services.

9. Entities of hotel industry may provide other services not related to catering and accommodation to non-tourists and members of the public.

10. It shall be prohibited to provide incorrect, false, misleading or confusing information or signs about the type or qualification category of the entity of hotel industry when presenting or advertising an entity of hotel industry.

11. It shall be prohibited to provide tourism services to tourists in the territory of the Republic of Armenia through persons or using vehicles that have failed to notify or qualify for the given type of tourism service as prescribed by the Law "On notification of carrying out activities” and this Law or have failed to ensure compliance with the qualification, notification, organisational and legal type or activities of the person providing the services prescribed by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia for the provision of these services or such type of activity or other special requirements therefor.

12. It shall be prohibited to provide, offer or sell tourist transport services in the territory of the Republic of Armenia or to transport tourists from one place to another on a bus that is not a tour bus.

13. It shall be prohibited to operate a tour bus without posting the sign in the form prescribed by the Government, provided for by part 3 of Article 16 of this Law, on the windshield of a tour bus, in a visible place.

14. Provision of tourism services without observing the requirements prescribed by this Law shall entail liability prescribed by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia.

1. When presenting an entity of hotel industry in the entity of hotel industry in a place visible for consumers, on the Internet or in advertising materials, the type and name of the entity of hotel industry, whereas in case of having a qualification category as prescribed, also the sign of the corresponding qualification category must be indicated.

2. The Government shall prescribe the criteria for the information posted by the person providing hotel services for advertising hotel services on-line or on other platforms or in announcements on provision of hotel services disseminated thereby, as well as in the information posted in the entity of hotel industry, and the procedure for posting information.

1. A person providing hotel services shall maintain a register of data on persons using services related to accommodation.

2. The head of the state authorised body shall approve the procedure for maintaining the register of data on persons using services related to accommodation.

1. A contract on tour package shall contain the following mandatory provisions:

(1) the full name of the entity of tourism activities (in case of an individual entrepreneur — name, surname), location (in case of an individual entrepreneur – record-registration address), telephone number, bank account number, state registration (in case of an individual entrepreneur – record-registration) number and the record-registration number as notified activity;

(2) description of the tour package and implementation terms;

(3) descriptions of, time limits for provision of services included in the tour package, including:

a. type of vehicle;

b. location, type of the entity of hotel industry in the country or place of destination;

c. conditions for organisation of catering;

d. sightseeing programmes, cultural and other events (if available);

(4) the cost of the tour package with the details of all necessary payments, taxes and duties, with the formulation of circumstances leading to a price change and the time limits for notifying the consumer about it;

(5) payment procedure, time limits and conditions;

(6) liability of parties in case of early termination of the contract;

(7) data on travel insurance (if available);

(8) in case of services provided to minors — the contact details of the child or the responsible persons;

(9) information on consumer rights, responsibilities;

(10) the time limit for notifying the client of the cancellation of the package due to insufficient number of persons, if the contract defines the availability of a minimum necessary number of persons for implementing the package;

(11) information on passports, requirements and formalities related to entry and exit from countries of destination or transit countries (visas, border crossing, customs and other formalities);

(12) other information provided for by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia and international treaties.

2. The head of the state authorised body may define standard forms of a contract on tour package.

3. The customer shall have the right to unilaterally terminate the contract on tour package without any reason within seven working days following the conclusion thereof, unless the contract on tour package provides for a longer time period (time for reflection), or the entity of tourism activities has not transferred the transferred amount to other persons providing tourism services upon the instruction or consent of the consumer.

4. Based on point 7 of part 1 of this Article, the contract on tour package may define a fee for early termination of the tour package, taking into account the notification period envisaged for early termination of the contract prior to the start of the tour package, as well as the expected saved expenses and incomes received from provision of alternative tourism services.

5. In the absence of public conditions, the fee for termination of the contract will be equivalent to the difference between the package fee and the sum total of the expenses and incomes saved for using tourism services. Upon the request of the consumer, the tour operator shall be obliged to provide a written substantiation on the amount of the early termination fee.

6. The Committee may publish the methodology for calculating the fee for termination of the tour package provided for by points 3 and 4 of this Article.

7. The price of a tour package may be changed exclusively in the case when the grounds and conditions therefor are provided for by the contract, which shall be conditioned only with the following changes:

(1) prices for transportation services related to changes in the prices of fuel or other energy carriers;

(2) taxes, duties, and other mandatory fees;

(3) currency exchange rate.

8. The price of a tour package may not be increased without giving a notice to the consumer at least 21 days before the start of the tour package, substantiated by relevant calculations.

9. Where the increase in prices within the scope of this Article makes up 8 percent of the contract price or more, the consumer shall have the right to unilaterally terminate the contract and withdraw from the package without paying a fine.

10. In case of an increase in prices within the scope of this Article, the entity of tourism activities shall not have a right to request an additional payment from the consumer, unless the amount paid by the consumer due to the fault of the entity of tourism activities has not been timely transferred to third parties providing tourism services, except where the consumer has expressed a wish to pay the difference in the prices.

1. During their activities, a tour guide and a guide shall be obliged to:

(1) immediately inform the relevant authorities about emergencies with tourists, cases of revealing persons with suspected infectious disease among tourists;

(2) have and carry in a visible place a badge in the form approved by a Decision of the Government;

(3) comply with the requirements prescribed by this Law or other regulatory legal acts.

2. The guide shall be obliged to:

(1) have the knowledge and skills ensuring the safety of tourists during difficult routes and apply them where necessary;

(2) ensure, where possible, his or her availability via means of communication during the entire period of service provision;

(3) provide first aid in case of emergency situations, injuries and accidents and alarm the competent authorities thereof.

CHAPTER 6

RIHGTS OF TOURIST

1. A tourist shall have the right to obtain from a tour operator or travel agent complete and objective information in his or her mother tongue or in another comprehensible language and, where impossible, in a most widely used internationally recognised language, on laws related to tourism of the country (place) of destination, and the lifestyle, customs of locals, public and religious rituals, rules of conduct, cultural, archaeological, architectural, historical and natural values thereof, conditions for providing insurance and tourism services , and where necessary, accessibility of the physical environment(including transport), information and communication for persons with disabilities.

CHAPTER 7

EXAMINATION OF COMPLAINTS

1. A consumer shall submit complaints about actions of the tourist service provider or the quality of the provided services to the Committee.

2. The procedure for examination of complaints and processing complaints shall be approved by the head of the state authorised body.

3. The Committee shall examine the complaints received and, where necessary, redirect them to the competent administrative authorities, notifying the person having sent the complaint in writing or by sending a message to a known e-mail in a comprehensible language.

4. The Committee shall publish an annual summary report on the results of examination of complaints on its official website by 20 February of the following calendar year.

CHAPTER 8

FINAL PART AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

1. This Law shall enter into force on 1 September 2024.

2. Articles 16-18, 23 and 24 of this Law shall enter into force on 1 January 2025.

3. Articles 8, 19 and 22 of this Law shall enter into force on 30 June 2025.

4. The qualification of entities of hotel industry obtained based on the Law of 17 December 2003 “On tourism and tourism activities” shall be valid until the expiry of the term defined by the qualification certificates. Upon the expiry of the term, the given entities of hotel industry shall be qualified as prescribed by this Law.

5. The Law of 17 December 2003 "On tourism and tourism activities" shall be repealed from the moment of entry into force of this Law.

6. Following the adoption of this Law, the Government and the state authorised body shall approve the secondary regulatory legal acts provided for by points 2 and 5 of part 1 of Article 5, part 2 of Article 7, parts 1 and 6 of Article 15, part 2 of Article 21, and part 6 of Article 23 of this Law by 1 September 2024. This provision shall enter into force on the twentieth day following the official promulgation of this Law. Secondary regulatory legal acts approved by the Government and the state authorised body shall enter into force on 1 September 2024.

7. The legal acts provided for by parts 3 and 5 of Article 13, part 1 of Article 14, part 3 of Article 16, part 2 of Article 18, and part 2 of Article 23 of this Law shall be adopted by 1 January 2025.

8. The legal acts provided for by point 3 of part 1 of Article 4, point 4 of part 1 of Article 5, part 1 of Article 8, parts 3 and 4 of Article 19, and part 2 of Article 22 of this Law shall be adopted by 30 June 2025.

Date of official promulgation: 12 January 2024.

Translation published on a joint site 26 May 2026.