EUR 12 million to be allocated for development of Areni wine cluster - Papoyan

YEREVAN, July 25. /ARKA/. EUR 12 million is planned to be allocated for the development of the Areni wine tourism cluster in Armenia's Vayots Dzor region, RA Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan said.

"The Areni wine tourism cluster is one of the seven that will be created with investments from the RA government," Papoyan said the day before at a meeting in Areni with members of the Council of Elders and heads of the community's administrative districts.

According to him, the program is aimed at stimulating the development of health, adventure, cultural, educational tourism, as well as ecotourism, contributing to the increase in economic activity in the regions of the republic.

The minister said that Areni annually hosts more than 500,000 visitors. The fact that a winery dating back more than 6,000 years has been discovered in this area has turned Areni into a symbol of wine tourism, further increasing international interest in Armenia.

"It is planned to allocate 12 million euros for the development of the cluster, which will significantly expand the community's potential, making Areni a more attractive destination for eco- and gastro-tourism lovers," Papoyan emphasized.

It is planned to provide 120 million euros for the creation of tourism clusters in communities such as Areni, Jermuk, Goris, Dvin, Gyumri, Aparan, Yeghegis, Sevan, Dilijan. 96 million euros will be allocated by the World Bank, 24 million euros by the state.

The TRIP program will be implemented from 2025 to 2029, it is aimed at improving the standard of living of the territories and communities involved in the clusters, increasing tourist attractiveness in terms of stimulating the growth of additional income and local farms for the communities.