I read in the papers that President Sargsyan met with Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on July 5. I'd like to inform our president of a disquieting fact or two in this regard.

President Sargsyan is quoted to have said that "tourism is one of the priorities of Armenian economy," adding that "although our country registers about 20% growth in the field every year, there is still a great potential, which should be used."

As someone who resides outside of Yerevan, in the very regions that are supposed to serve as a fertile field for the developmental of tourism in Armenia, I would find the president's remarks encouraging if not for the facts on the ground.

Take the Tatev aerial tramway. Tourists, who had arrived at the site from overseas, complained to me about having to wait for hours under a scorching sun for a chance to ride the cable car. Believe it or not, there are no shelters to be found in the area, let alone benches.

Even more mind boggling is the fact that visitors wishing to see the Shaki Waterfalls, a unique natural site, must pay someone to turn on the water to get the full effect of the cascading torrent.

The person waiting to be paid greets unsuspecting visitors at the entrance to the road leading to the falls.

If you chose not to grease any palms then all you get is the "watered down" version.

Talk about developing tourism in Armenia...

It seems that some are just out to make a fast buck.