Armenia recorded a sharp rise in tourism in the first quarter of the year, with 453,138 visitors — up 18.2% year-on-year, Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan said.

The increase marks the highest first-quarter figure on record.

“This is 18.2% higher - or more than 70,000 additional tourists - compared to the same period last year,” Papoyan said.

The surge comes alongside steady growth in air travel. Passenger traffic at Zvartnots and Shirak airports exceeded 5.3 million between January and November 2025.

Zvartnots accounted for over 5.18 million passengers, while Shirak handled just over 127,000.

Overall traffic rose by 7.3% compared to the same period in 2024, reflecting continued recovery and expansion in Armenia’s travel sector.