Mapping and Database Creation:

• A complete mapping of tourism resources (natural, historical-cultural) and service providers (accommodations, food facilities, guides, experiences) in Syunik region has been completed.
• A comprehensive database has been created, the descriptions of which have been translated into English to ensure accessibility for international visitors.
• Tour operators that include Syunik in their programs have also been mapped.
• Assessments of tourism stakeholders, tourists, and the region’s tourism needs have been carried out.

Digital Presence and Marketing Materials:

• The website www.visitsyunik.am, which represents the region’s tourism, is constantly maintained and updated with collected materials, resources and services, which allows visitors to get the necessary information from one place.
• Pages are actively maintained on 2 social platforms (Facebook, Instagram) aimed at promoting tourism in Syunik region, with the posting of developed information and cooperation with major influencers.
• Marketing materials have been developed and printed: a map of Goris (300 copies), postcards presenting Syunik’s tourist attractions (400 copies) and a tourist information brochure (200 copies).
  A video presenting the region’s attractions was created, which was shown and distributed on social platforms, increasing the visibility of Syunik.

Tourism Product Development and Innovation:

• Within the framework of interregional cooperation, 3 thematic tourism packages were developed and created: Gastro, Adventure and Hiking.
• 2 new tourism products for Syunik region were developed, including adventure tourism packages and the “House of Crafts” experience for the demonstration of crafts known in the region.
• Trainings on developing hiking packages were organized with the French organization AFRAT and the CEPFA foundation. Excursions to the ruins of Old Harjis and the palace of King Alan, the Vorotan River and the Old Harjis Bridge were implemented.

Cooperation and Capacity Building:

• In cooperation with the Austrian Development Bank, cooking courses were organized for 20 people in Meghri, Kapan and Goris, which yielded wonderful results, increasing the quality of the hospitality sector.
• With the Dutch organization PUM, baking courses were organized twice, after which more than 10 displaced women from Artsakh started working, contributing to their integration and employment.
• The cooperation with the French mountaineering organization Afrat continues. We have participated in hiking festivals organized by Afrat, and this year we are preparing to host the festival in Goris. The grant will cover the purchase of hiking equipment, which will be included in the “Shop” section of the Visitsyunik.am website for direct sale or rental.
• A permanent hiking club has been established with more than 30 active participants, which promotes active tourism in the region.
• Quarterly business meetings are organized with stakeholders in the tourism business sector of the region, during which the main challenges of the sector, solutions, news, products, and international trends are discussed.

Cultural and International Activities:

• Support was provided for the organization of the Armenian-Iranian “Cooperation Silk Carpet” festival, overnight stays were organized for musicians, and the play “Cyrus and Tigran” was staged.
• A tourist-friendly environment was created in the Aksel Bakunts House-Museum. The “Arlupa” program was introduced on the painting of Bakunts and his mother, where Bakunts tells about himself. A bilingual brochure was created, which presents the history of the museum and other attractions of Goris.
• Within the framework of the decentralized management visit, a visit was made to Vienna with the Syunik DMO team to exchange international experience and explore opportunities for cooperation.

Continuous Mapping and Digital Strategy:

• Continued coordination of tourism resources and service providers in the region to create a comprehensive database.
• Active management of social media pages and regular updating of the website www.visitsyunik.am with up-to-date content.
• Continuous tourist satisfaction surveys for continuous improvement of services.

Tourism Product Development and Media Production:

• Creation of at least 2 new tourism products and 2 new destinations to diversify the offer.
• Development of marketing materials (videos, photos) for effective promotion of the region.

Familiarization Visits:

Organization of cognitive visits to Syunik region for tour operators to increase visibility. Within this framework, an informational-cognitive visit “Deeps of Syunik” is planned (04-05.11.2025), during which participants will get acquainted with the tourism potential of Syunik, traditional crafts, gastronomy and nature. The visit includes lavash and pottery master classes, tasting of fruit wines and mulberries, preparation of natural cosmetics, master class in national dances, inspection of the hotel base, cheese tasting at the “Elola” company, tea ceremony in the Tea Cave, visit to Old Harjis and a jeep tour.

Digital Transformation: R2D Syunik Grant:

The goal is to create a comprehensive digital ecosystem to promote tourism in the region and provide digital opportunities to local businesses. It includes:

1. “Syunik Trip Plans” mobile application: For researching, planning and booking tourism services with an intuitive interface and personalized offers.
2. Secure multi-currency payment system: Transparent and efficient online transactions with support for international and local payment methods (Armenian banks, Visa, MasterCard, ArCa, Apple Pay, Google Pay, IDram), as well as AMD/USD/EUR currencies. Security will be ensured with PCI DSS compliance, 3D Secure and fraud detection.
3. Visitsyunik.am website expansion: A data-driven interactive web platform with an improved user experience and multilingual support. It will become a central hub with a sightseeing guide, interactive map, events calendar, travel planning tool, and blog. It is expected to increase local business revenues by 40%, strengthen Syunik’s position in the global market by 2x, and provide 24/7 service to tourists.

Thoughts and Ideas based on the Syunik DMO strategy and visions:

• Hospitality Sector Labor Market: Development and retraining of the hospitality sector labor market through solving the shortage of personnel (sales managers, SMM specialists, chefs, guide-translators), quality assurance, attracting international experience and organizing narrowly specialized training courses.
• Rural Settlement Development: Development of ancient cave villages (Khndzoresk, Halidzor, Shinuhayr) as tourist centers, offering cave overnight stays, gastro-experiences, development of a network of local guides, hiking and horse riding.
• Expert Engagement: Engagement of experts for the identification of tourist destinations (in-depth study of the unique nature and culture of Goris and surrounding settlements), design of tourist routes (gastro, hiking, cave tours) and development of a marketing strategy.
• Active Tourist Experiences: Hiking and trekking routes (Goris-Khndzoresk-Shinuhair, Alan King’s Palace), horse riding (Goris-Bardzravan, Shinuhair-Khot caves), sports and adventure tourism (paragliding, mountain biking), gastro-experiences and cultural events, rural tourism.
• SYUNIK DMO Marketing and Promotion of Created Products: Local and international market segmentation, active use of social media, branding strategy, stakeholder engagement and use of e-marketing.
• SELF-FINANCING OF THE TOURISM MANAGEMENT OFFICE OF SYUNIK REGION: Ensuring sustainability through the production of souvenirs (cultural, historical, gastronomic, eco-souvenirs) – sale at local points and online platforms, cooperation with tour operators.
• Organization of Festivals: Organization of eco-tourism and natural heritage, gastronomic and cultural, adventure tourism festivals to present the cultural, historical, gastronomic, eco-tourism and adventure products of the region.