Armenia is expecting “serious” tourist flows in 2020, chief of the Civil Aviation Committee Tatevik Revazian told reporters on Monday, January 13, reminding of the new routes starting from January, Factor.am reports.

Rianair will be flying from Yerevan and Gyumri to Milan and Rome (Italy), Berlin and Memmingen (Germany), Thessaloniki and Athens (Greece), while Wizz Air will connect the Armenian capital to Vienna (Austria) and Vilnius (Lithuania).

Revazian said 16–17 routes will now be connecting the country to Europe against the only 6–7 directions before the changes brought by the Committee.

Armenia will not be collecting departure taxes on flights to destinations that haven’t been served in the past 12 months. The change applies to all the carriers who will enter the Armenian market and fly to new destinations.

“It would be great for us as Armenian citizens to be able to travel to Europe at more convenient times and at cheaper prices,” Revazian said.

“At the same time, we hope a large flow of tourists will come to Armenia this year, which will create thousands of jobs and boost the economy.”