Opening Session

Opening Session Video Recording 

Speakers

  • Welcome Remarks, Alen Amirkhanian, Director, AUA Acopian Center for the Environment
  • Welcome Remarks, Armen Der Kiureghian, President, American University of Armenia
  • Welcome Remarks, Zarmine Zeitountsian, Chair, RA National Tourism Committee
  • Armenia’s Economic Future, Tourism, and the Role of Ecotourism Artsvik Minasyan, RA Minister of Nature Protection
  • A Village Offering Value to the World and Prospering by It, Robert Ghukasyan, Founder, Timeland Foundation

 

National Policy and Solutions 

Session Topic: ECOTOURISM AND NATIONAL POLICY (Video Recording)

Speakers

Moderator: Zarmine Zeitountsian, Chair, RA National Tourism Committee

Session Topic: FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT (Video Recording: Part 1, Part 2)

Speakers

Moderator: Isabella Sargsyan, Program Director, Eurasia Partnership Foundation

Session Topic: ECOTOURISM HUBS AS MARKETS FOR ORGANIC PRODUCE (Video Recording)

Speaker

  • David Muckenhuber, Team Leader, Austrian Development Agency/OASI (PPT Presentation)

Discussant: Armen Harutyunyan, RA Deputy Minister of Agriculture

Session Topic: PROMOTING TOURISM: THE SCIENCE BEHIND STORYTELLING (Video Recording)

Speaker

Discussant: Robert Ghukasyan, Timeland Foundation 

Session Topic: BUILDING A COORDINATED NATIONAL HIKING SYSTEM (Video Recording)

Speaker

Discussant: Arsen Gasparyan, WWF

Session Topic: ROLE OF PROTECTED AREAS IN NATIONAL ECOTOURISM STRATEGY (Video Recording)

Speakers

Moderator: Siranush Galstyan, WWF

Session Topic: MARKETING AND BRANDING OF ARMENIA’S ECOTOURISM POTENTIAL (Video Recording)

Speakers

Moderator: Armine Melik-Israelyan, GIZ

Session Topic: BUILDING A COORDINATED NATIONAL HIKING SYSTEM (Video Recording)

Discussion Participants

  • Vazgen Galstyan, Jermuk Development NGO
  • Gor Iskandaryan, “Arm Up Hiking” NGO
  • Njdeh Andreas, Hikers.am
  • Gevorg Gasparyan, Armenian Hikers’ Association
  • Vahagn Vardumyan, Trans-Caucasian Trail
  • Tigran Chibukhchyan, Yenokavan Development Foundation

Moderator: Oscar Alvarado, Hovnanian Foundation 

Regional Potential and Capacity + Standards

Session Topic: CROSS-BORDER TOURISM (Video Recording)

Speakers

  • Karen Karapetyan, TJS (PPT Presentation)
  • Gayane Mkrtchyan, Program Manager, Eurasia Partnership Foundation (PPT Presentation)
  • Siranush Vardanyan, Co-founder and Chairwoman, ARK Ecological NGO (PPT Presentation)
  • Davit Dilanyan, Mkrtich Dallakyan, Aida Atabekyan, Youth Cooperation Center of Dilijan NGO (PPT Presentation)

Moderator: Artur Ghazaryan, Youth Cooperation Center of Dilijan NGO

Session Topic: TOUR GUIDES: STANDARDS AND TRAINING (Video Recording)

Speakers

Moderator: Zhanna Galyan, President, Armenian Ecotourism Association 

Session Topic: NATURAL MONUMENTS, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES (Video Recording)

Speakers

  • Karen Manvelyan, WWF
  • Aram Aghasyan, RA Ministry of Nature Protection (Information Flier)

Moderator: Mikayel Hovhannisyan, Program Manager, Eurasia Partnership Fund

Session Topic: NATURE-BASED TOURISM: ECOTOURISM CENTERS (Video Recording)

Speakers

Moderator: Hovhannes Ghazaryan, UNDP Armenia

Session Topic: NATURE-BASED TOURISM: BIRDS (Video Recording)

Speaker

Session Topic: SYUNIK ECOTOURISM CORRIDOR: CREATING LOCAL LINKS (Video Recording)

Speakers

  • Siranush Vardanyan, Bridge project (PPT Presentation)
  • Martiros Nalbandyan and Ramaz Gokhelashvili, Support Programme for Protected Areas – Armenia, KfW
Session Topic: TAVUSH-SEVAN CORRIDOR: CREATING LOCAL LINKS (Video Recording)

Speakers

Moderator: Hayk Gabrielyan, TRDP-Ijevan, AUA

Session Topic: ARARAT-VAYOTS DZOR CORRIDOR: CREATING LOCAL LINKS (Video Recording)

Speakers

Moderator: Argishti Mikaelyan, Greens Union of Armenia, Vayk 

Session Topic: NORTHERN ECOTOURISM CORRIDOR: CREATING LOCAL LINKS (Video Recording)

Speakers

Moderator: Anahit Ghazanchyan, Country Director, Heifer International Armenia

Session Topic: TRAINING: FIRST-AID PREPAREDENESS FOR TOURISM (Video Recording: Part 1, Part 2)
  • TRAINER: Spartak Hovhannisyan, ARMHIKING Tourism Center NGO
Session Topic: ECOTOURISM AS A TOOL FOR BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION (Video Recording)

Speaker

Moderator: Karen Aghababyan, AUA

Session Topic: MAPPING ECOTOURISM ROUTES AND DESTINATIONS (Video Recording)

Speakers

  • Armine Harutyunyan & Ani Givargizyan, RRISEP, “Spatial Analysis of Tourist Destinations” (PPT Presentation)
  • Armine Harutyunyan & Ani Givargizyan RRISEP, “Opportunities for Development of Agritourism in Vayots Dzor” (PPT Presentation)

Moderator: Sean Reynolds, AUA

Session Topic: B&B STANDARDS IN ARMENIA (Video Recording)

Speakers

Moderator: Zhanna Galyan, President, Armenian Ecotourism Association

Local Potential and Capacity + Standards

Session Topic: FESTIVALS: DO’S AND DON’TS (Video Recording)

Speakers

Moderator: Karine Panosyan, 1000 Years of Village Life festival

Session Topic: SUSTAINABLE HARVEST AND TRADITIONAL FOOD (Video Recording)

Speakers

  • Rita Martirosyan, Director, Ritea Armenia (OASI beneficiary) (Video Presentation)
  • Sedrak Mamulyan, President, Development and Maintenance of Armenian Culinary Traditions NGO (Video Presentation)
  • Lusine Gharajyan, Advisor, Integrated Biodiversity Management South Caucasus, GIZ (PPT Presentation)
  • Tatevik Vardanyan, 1000Leaf Project, AEN and AUA joint initiative (Visit 1000leaf.aua.am)

Moderator: Anna Yeritsyan, ICARE

Session Topic: ASSET-BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (Video Recording)

Speakers

Moderator: Sevak Hovhannisyan, EV Consulting

Session Topic: RURAL TOURISM: TOOLS FOR IDENTIFYING LOCAL POTENTIAL (Video Recording)

Speakers

Moderator: Nora Mirzoyan, World Bank

Session Topic: EXERCISE ECOTOURISM (Video Recording)

Speakers

Moderator: Ashot Davtyan, Armhiking NGO

Session Topic: LOCAL EXPERIMENTS IN MARKETING FOR ECOTOURISM (Video Recording)

Speakers

Moderator: Aram Keryan, AUA

Session Topic: NATURE-BASED TOURISM: EXPERIENCE OF TOURISM IN PROTECTED AREAS (Video Recording)

Speaker

Discussant: Artur Grigoryan, EcoRight NGO

Session Topic: ANCIENT RECIPES, SECRETS, POTIONS, BALMS: BRINGING HISTORY TO LIFE (Video Recording)

Speakers

  • Varti Qeshishyan, Head, International Relations Department, Matenadaran
  • Lilith Martirosyan, Director of Marketing and Sales, Nairian (PPT Presentation)
  • Nelli Avetisyan, Director, Verde Pharm (PPT Presentation)

Moderator: Natella Mirzoyan, AUA

Session Topic: BEES, HONEY, AND TOURISTS (Video Recording)

Speakers

Moderator: Harutyun Alpetyan, AUA

Session Topic: ADVENTURE TOURISM (Video Recording)

Speakers

Moderator: Vazgen Galstyan, Jermuk Development NGO

Matchmaking and Networking

Session Topic: ONLINE ARMENIAN PLATFORMS (Video Recording)

Speakers

Moderator: Aram Keryan, EPIC, AUA

Session Topic: TOUR OPERATORS AND ECOTOURISM: CONNECTING LOCALS TO OPERATORS (Video Recording)

Speakers

  • Milena Sargisyan, Head, Incoming Department, Geographic Travel
  • Shushan Sargsyan, Manager, Green Way Travel
  • Ruben Grigoryan, Director, Rumea Tempting Trips Club
  • Vladimir Grigoryan, Director, DA Tours
  • Susanna Aghababyan, Director, Eden Tour

Moderator: Karine Davoyan, Director, Union of Incoming Tour Operators of Armenia 

Closing Session

Closing Session Video Recording
  • Key Takeaways on National Policy and Solutions
  • Key Takeaways on Regional Capacity and Potential
  • Key Takeaways on Local Capacity and Potential
  • Key Takeaways on Standards and Quality Assurance