During a consultation held in the Office of Government, Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan was presented a program of making tourist destinations of 20 historical, cultural monuments and protected wildlife areas, which has been developed by the State Tourism Committee (STC) of the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments.
STC Head Zarmine Zeytuntsyan noted that the program covers Goris Caves, Zorats Stones, Trchkan Waterfall, Black Fortress, Lake Arpi, Noratus, Geghard, Ashtarak, Dvin, Byurakan, Amberd, Zvartnots, Metsamor, Smbataberd, Yeghegis, Gladzor, Selim Caravanserai, Proshaberd, Erebuni and Tashir. The program is meant to extend the duration of the tour, and thereby increase the costs, provide tourists with accommodation, extend the tourist season, etc. The program has been developed taking into consideration the top 10 global tourism trends.
The aforementioned tourist attractions have been selected according to their historical-cultural significance, picturesque nature, investment potential and feasibility, geographical location and the availability of nearby communities. 4 projects were said complete and ready to be presented to potential investors.
Prime Minister Karapetyan instructed the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments to set up an appropriate platform for holding first-round professional discussions of programs similar to those 20 projects, after which they shall be presented to the Governors so that they can take steps to attract investors. The Premier suggested setting such “rules of the game” that will guide the investors interested in implementing tourism-oriented projects in areas featuring natural, cultural and architectural monuments.