Armenia aims to boost its foreign tourism numbers by 10 per cent in 2014, by championing the spa sector as one of its main selling points.

Tourism has been a key sector of the Armenian economy since the 1990s, with nearly a million people visiting the country every year, mostly returning Armenians who live abroad.

Mekhak Apresyan, head of the division in charge of tourism for the Armenian Ministry of Economy, said at a video conference between Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Armenia that the tourism industry was a priority for the country’s government.

Apresyan also said that aside from the country’s historical and cultural tourism – which is currently Armenia’s main draw – it would be developing its spa, medical, winter, and agricultural tourism, as well as a tourist product that will combine all of these sectors.

In 2013, 924,965 people visited the country, with the Armenian Ministry of Economy reporting that most of the tourists come from former Soviet nations in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), particularly Russia and Georgia, as well as Iran and the US.

A number of luxury hotels have opened in Armenia recently. Hilton and InterContinental are both located in the capital city Yerevan, while Kempinski set to arrive in 2014.