Absolutely: but not alone
A few weeks ago, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain came to Armenia to film an episode for his show, “Parts Unknown.” The show travels around the world uncovering the culture, struggle, politics and pride behind every plate from the Americas to Asia. Running since 2013, “Parts Unknown” is 84 episodes in. Armenia is next to hit the big screen.
Bourdain’s visit sparked excitement among both Armenians within the country, and those throughout the diaspora. This excitement, however, was not without its questions. Where would he eat? How would he portray Armenian culture? Can one visit to Armenia really make a difference?
By the Numbers
While Anthony Bourdain’s visit alone cannot create the infrastructure for growth and development Armenia needs, his appearance should not be underestimated. With viewership in the hundreds of thousands, “Parts Unknown” has the potential to bring Armenia to the attention of tourists from around the world.
The Tourism industry has emerged as a promising source of income for several communities in Armenia. The majority of visitors spend their time in Yerevan, which has seen unprecedented growth amidst the opening of new restaurants, festivals, and cultural activities celebrating Armenia. Beyond the city, adventure tourism has taken off in the mountainous northeastern region of Tavush, where Yell Extreme Park promises the longest zipline in the world. Throughout the country, hiking is gaining attention and becoming more accessible with HIKEArmenia, an easy to use app that allows tourists to explore the natural beauty of Armenia from north to south. Many of these initiatives are still in their infancy, but are quickly gaining attention. Here’s what the industry looked like in 2015.
Since then, tourism in Armenia has only grown, with 2017 seeing a record number of visitors early in the year. Its impact? Social, economic, and environmental, with attention being brought to preserving all of the features that make Armenia so unique.
Why Tourism? Why Armenia?
2017 was named The International Year of Sustainable Tourism by the United Nations. The potential for tourism to grow local economies has been highlighted as a priority for countries around the world for several reasons, including everything from low environmental cost, opportunity for people from different backgrounds to become successful, and most importantly, its potential for growth. For Armenia, the question shifts to how the country can harness its transformative powers to boost local economies.
There is no single solution to ensure Armenia’s successful development of tourism. As small as the country is, each community has a unique set of natural and cultural resources to bring to the table.
Where Can Armenia Grow?
One of these unique regions for tourism is right in Southern Armenia. Wine tourism has been a game changer for agricultural communities from California to Europe, and Armenia’s wine country shares many of the qualitiesthat have made other wine regions successful. By bringing visitors looking for an authentic experience in the region right to the vineyards of these farmers, tourism is directly addressing one of the biggest issues many rural communities face: job creation.
Sustainable tourism offers Southern Armenia’s local communities a chance to earn a liveable income by showing what makes the region they call home so special in the first place. It builds off of the tradition and love for the land that has kept these families going for generations. And on top of it, it changes the narrative on life in Armenia’s rural communities.
While many of Southern Armenia’s local communities are ready take on the responsibilities that come with growing wine tourism, they lack the infrastructure to make that happen. ONEArmenia partnered with Semina consulting to give them the resources they need to show the world that the birthplace of winemaking is a modern, exciting and accessible destination for every wine lover.
One plate, WineCube, and Trail at a time
Sustainability in tourism will not appear overnight. Anthony Bourdain’s appearance in Armenia provides a unique opportunity to bring attention to the initiatives that are working to make Armenia a destination for history, wine, and adventure-lovers alike. With the right investment, sustainable tourism will become a reality for Armenia.
Everything starts with you. Your support in Farm-to-Bottle and HIKEArmenia are providing local initiatives with the tools and resources they need to bring Armenia’s various tourism sectors to their thriving potential.
