YEREVAN (RFE/RL) - The number of tourists visiting Armenia will nearly triple next year due to the upcoming official celebrations of the 1700th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity as Armenia's state religion, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

Khosrov Harutiunian, deputy chairman of a state commission charged with preparations for the Christianity jubilee, said the yearlong festivities are expected to draw at least 150,000 foreign visitors, giving a major boost to the struggling Armenian economy. According to "the most modest estimates" of the government, that will translate into $150 million worth of hard currency injections from abroad, Harutiunian said.

The commission has already approved the timetable of 50 officially sponsored events that will be part of the celebrations. These include religious services, festivals, exhibitions, concerts and theatrical performances.

The government is anxious to upgrade the country's poor tourist infrastructure to be able to cope with the influx of tourists, many of them ethnic Armenians living abroad. Harutiunian said the work is mostly funded by the Lincy Foundation of Armenian-American billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, which has allocated $20 million.

Another Diaspora charity, the Cafesjian Foundation, has provided $2 million for that purpose. The Armenian government, he said, will spend only 690 million drams ($1.25) on the festivities from its budget.

Armenia's private sector is also keen to capitalize on the expected tourist boom, with several new hotels currently under construction in Yerevan. However, accommodations will still be a major problem for the jubilee commission. It hopes to compensate for the lack of hotel beds by private apartments that will be made available to tourists.