TravelBiz Monitor – India’s news travel portal recommends Armenia as a good travel destination for Indians. “A relatively unexplored paradise, Armenia is blessed with three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The country is a tourist’s delight because of its wide array of wines, number of festivals, and pre-historic Christian monuments, taking one back in time and its beautiful landscape.”
TravelBiz Monitor takes a closer look at the country’s potential in the Indian market. The article reads, in part:
“Armenia is a country of miracles…if you ask me where on earth you can find more miracles, I would say, first of all Armenia…It is involuntarily amazing that in such a small corner of the world you can find such monuments and such people — R. Kent Huges, Author, USA.
Armenia, a country steeped in history and culture, has a lot to offer to Indian tourists, with its capital, Yerevan being one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. The country has been developing and modernizing since its independence in 1991 from the Soviet Union, though it still maintains some traces of its past.
With about 300 rivers and rivulets, the Republic of Armenia is situated at a cultural, historical, and religious intersection. Located at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, in the Southern Caucasus, Armenia is now connected by Air Arabia’s bi-weekly flights from their hub in Sharjah. It is a great mid-haul destination for Indian travellers and has the potential to become a leisure hub for passengers from India with outdoor activities and scenery as its prime attraction. Since 2000 Armenia has seen an increase in tourist footfall, and with introduction of these flights it is expected to grow in the coming years.
Under the majestic backdrop of Mount Ararat, or at the millennia-old church of one’s choice, spending a vacation in the most special places of Armenia can be a refreshing idea for the next vacation. With Armenia recently celebrating its 1700th anniversary as the first nation to embrace Christianity as a state religion, the country will surely satiate the needs of a world traveller looking for the ideal mix of religion, culture, adventure, and relaxation. Armenia has a population of 3,238,000 and is the second most densely populated among all the former Soviet Republics. It attracts people with its sense of adventure and history. There are also some objects in Armenia that are in the official list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, like Monastery of Haghpat and Sanahin, Cathedral and Churches of Echmiadzin, and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots and Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley.
Presently, the country is landlocked and has no navigable waterways, in contrast to historic Armenia, which at its peak under King Tigran the Great, stretched from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and was more than ten times the current size of the present day Republic. Armenia shares borders with Georgia to the North, Turkey to the West and South, with Azerbaijan to the East and South West, and Iran to the South. Looming above the Yerevan skyline as an ominous reminder to its glorious past and as a beacon to a future of hope rises the majestic Mount Ararat. Located South West of the capital city of Yerevan in present day Turkey, Mount Ararat dominates the national landscape, psyche and character. Mount Aragats, the highest point within the Republic’s boundaries (4,090 mts at its summit) is a less-explored paradise for hikers. The people of Armenia, old and young, stand in concert and with open arms welcoming first-time visitors, the investor community, or those looking to call Armenia their permanent home.
The capital city Yerevan is surrounded by the magnificently imposing Mount Ararat, which lies in the neighbouring country, Turkey. The country has a historical heritage spanning the Stone Age era to modern-day Armenia. It offers a variety of religious sites, primarily beautiful churches that dot the vast countryside landscape. An unexplored destination, Yerevan offers visitors an unforgettable getaway with pleasant weather almost throughout the year, popular handicrafts, jewellery and Soviet memorabilia for the ardent shopper, delicious food, which mixes fresh salads, spiced meats and lavash—a chewy flat bread and a mystical feel to it—all of which form a part of the country’s USP. Moreover, the exchange rate between the Indian rupee and the Armenian Dram is low, so it benefits a cost-conscious/frugal Indian traveller on his first visit to the country who are keen on not burning a hole in their pockets while exploring an exotic location like Armenia.
Situated along the River Hrazdan, Yerevan, which was named as 2012 World Book Capital by UNESCO, is the administrative, cultural, and industrial centre of the country. It has been the capital since 1918, the 13th in the history of Armenia. With the growth of the economy of the country, Yerevan has been undergoing major transformation as many parts of the city have been the recipient of new construction since the early 2000s, and retail outlets such as restaurants, shops and street cafes, which were rare during Soviet times, have multiplied.
Amongst other attractions in Armenia is Tsaghkadzor, historical name Kecharis, which is a spa town and a popular health resort located North of Hrazdan in the Kotayk Province (marz). Tsaghkadzor means valley of flowers in Armenian. The city is located 50 kms North of Yerevan, on the South-Eastern slope of Teghenis Mountains, at a height of 1,750 mts above sea level, surrounded with alpine meadows. The infrastructure of tourism is highly developed in Tsaghkadzor, with many luxurious hotels, resorts and amusement facilities.”
