Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
IV. ATTITUDES AND TRAVEL INTERESTS<br />
MOTIVATIONS<br />
Armenian-Americans are motivated to visit Armenia for a variety of reasons, ancestral<br />
connections being chief among them. Nearly 9 in 10 (86.3%) say that seeing their ancestral<br />
homeland is extremely or somewhat important in motivating them to visit Armenia, and 83.4% say<br />
the same about exploring their ancestral heritage (Exhibit 21). These two ancestral factors<br />
particularly motivate Armenian-Americans born in Armenia; 99.3% and 94.9%, respectively, agree<br />
that these are important factors.<br />
Many Armenian-Americans also feel a desire to give back to their homeland; 84.5% say a<br />
major motivating factor is to contribute to the development of Armenia. Past visitors to Armenia<br />
are more than twice as likely as those who have not been there to say that this is an extremely<br />
important factor (72.5% versus 32.0%).<br />
All of these factors are deemed most important by Armenian-Americans born in Armenia and<br />
decrease in importance for second and third generation Armenians. Target travelers also place<br />
importance on seeing their ancestral homeland, contributing to the development of Armenia, and<br />
exploring their heritage. They are also more likely than other Armenian-Americans to say that<br />
conducting business or exploring business opportunities is an important motivating factor.<br />
EXHIBIT 21. IMPORTANCE OF SELECTED FACTORS IN<br />
MOTIVATING VISITATION TO ARMENIA<br />
(EXTREMELY OR SOMEWHAT)<br />
All<br />
Armenian-<br />
Americans<br />
Born in<br />
Armenia<br />
Ever Been<br />
to Armenia<br />
Never Been<br />
to Armenia<br />
Target<br />
Travelers<br />
To see ancestral homeland<br />
To contribute to the development of<br />
86.3% 99.3% 93.6% 79.4% 97.2%<br />
Armenia 84.5 97.4 95.0 74.1 96.9<br />
To explore ancestral heritage 83.4 94.9 87.3 79.7 96.0<br />
To visit friends or relatives<br />
To conduct business or explore<br />
58.7 97.0 85.1 32.6 80.4<br />
business opportunities 35.7 45.3 46.2 25.0 50.8<br />
(Number of respondents) (571-595) (158-162) (289-292) (286-302) (290-301)<br />
ATTITUDES TOWARD ARMENIA<br />
Most Armenian-Americans who visited Armenia for leisure or VFR in the past five years had an<br />
overall favorable impression of the country as a tourist destination; 88.6% say their impression was<br />
14
Change language