On "budget" destinations
On "budget" destinations
Yerevan will become as touristy as Tbilisi and Sofia. I want to cherish every moment while it still looks like the place I remember. Changes are inevitable - all apartments on the main streets will turn into AirBnbns, prices in some particularly nice restaurants will skyrocket, and no local will go there for a coffee. The process has already begun, but there is still time before things change.
Tourist groups will barricade the streets, and in summer no one will want to walk the main streets during the day. Cheap flights to Yerevan will do their job - they will promote tourism, but not the kind promoted by the Iclanders, not the expensive kind. This tourism will be branded as "budget" tourism. So those who spend their gap year will want to come and spend very little money here.
There is a huge gap between people who travel to Barcelona and those who travel to Reykjavik. Rich people go to Iceland, poor and middle class people go to Barcelona. Yes, Barcelona is the most expensive destination in Spain, but compared to Western European countries it is still very affordable, it is a "budget" option for a weekend escape when you are a student or for a bachelor party.