PanARMENIAN.Net - In recent years, the sector of tourism in Artsakh has posted significant progress. And the fact that Artsakh is a part of the international tourism is already a great achievement in itself, the adviser to the head of the department of tourism at the Nagorno Karabakh Republic government said.

As Artak Grigoryan told Artsakhpress, "according to statistics, in the period from 2007 to 2013 the number of foreign visitors to Artsakh has grown by an average of 40 percent. These statistical data refer only to the foreign citizens that visited Artsakh. Data exclude the number of visitors to Armenia," Grigoryan said.

With 4 hotels in the country before the independence, after the declaration of independence high-class hotels with top-quality customer service have been built continuously over the years. Currently, 42 hotel facilities with 1187 sleeping places, more than 25 well-equipped resorts are functioning in the country, with the infrastructure showing improvement.

Tourism is a major source of income in the country. Thus, according to the Department of Tourism and Historic Environment Preservation, during 2014, tourists spent an approximate amount of $6.4 million in Artsakh.

Grigoryan further noted the NKR to be a very attractive country for investments - the legislative framework is completely formed, there are low interest rates for investments, flexible tax policy is implemented. Close collaboration exists between the government and the private sector in order to promote investment in the tourism sector.

"It should be noted that Artsakh has a great tourism potential. Marketing and infrastructure development projects are being organized to make its potential more recognizable and competitive, with the country made more attractive for foreign tourists," said the authorized representative of the sector.

During the last 10 years, NKR has attended major international tourism exhibitions (in Berlin, London, Moscow, Paris, Milan, Rimini, Madrid).

At the exhibitions, all the interested visitors and organizations are provided with the necessary information about the NKR tourism potential; informative literature, CDs of films are handed out as well.

Moreover, the tourism potential of the NKR is presented in the Internet, particularly through the website www.karabakh.travel and the official pages in the main social networks.