Within the framework of the “Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia” (LILA) and “Digitizing Sectors for Competitiveness” projects implemented by the “Strategic Development Agency” NGO, the organization’s delegation is on a working visit in the Republic of Moldova.

From June 18-25, the delegation, including the beneficiaries of the two projects, will visit a number of leading wineries, providing interesting tourist experiences in Moldova.

Within the framework of the visit, the partners of the private sector of the LILA project get acquainted with the international experience, have working discussions with the Moldovan side in order to develop their tourism products in Armenia and present themselves in a new way.

On June 19, the delegation, as a special guest, participated in the conference dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Antrim National Inbound and Outbound Tourism Association in Chisinau.

Alla Ghazaryan, coordinator of the “Living Landscapes of Armenia for Market Development” project, presented the two projects, the activities being carried out in the direction of developing the regions and communities of Armenia through gastro and sustainable tourism, their features and achievements.

In her speech, Alla Ghazaryan emphasized the importance of tourism for the development of communities in Armenia and Moldova, highlighting the combination of gastro and wine tourism as a successful experience.

On June 20, the beneficiaries of the LILA project, together with the representatives of the Moldavian partner, “Antrim” organization, visited the Cricova wine factory and got acquainted with the Moldovan winemaking experience.

Cricova Winery is a unique winery in the world and represents the National-Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Moldova. It’s a huge underground city at a depth of up to 100 m underground and over 120 km of underground streets with independent infrastructure.

The visit of the delegation to Moldova is underway.

On June 11, the opening ceremony of the “Ahnidzor” guest house took place in the Ahnidzor settlement of Tumanyan community of Lori region. The guest house was built with the support of the Living Landscapes of Armenia for Market Development (LILA) project. In Armenia, the project is financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and implemented by the WWF Caucasus in Armenia (WWF-Armenia) in partnership with Strategic Development Agency (SDA) NGO.

“Ahnidzor” guest house, once the residence of Armenian painter Khachik Gharabekyan, has been renovated and turned into a unique guest house. With the “Artist Residency” concept, it offers guests unforgettable experiences, cultural events, and nature based experiences, merging nature and art seamlessly.

The event was attended by the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Switzerland in  Armenia and Deputy Regional Director of Swiss Cooperation South Caucasus Ursula Läubli, the Director of WWF Armenia Karen Manvelyan, the Head of Tumanyan Community of Lori region, Suren Tumanyan, and the Administrative Head of Ahnidzor Settlement, Arman Matevosyan, as well as representatives of tourism companies.

The event started with a welcome speech delivered by the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Switzerland in Armenia and Deputy Regional Director of Swiss Cooperation South Caucasus Ursula Läubli, who emphasized the importance of such initiatives’ existence in the regions of Armenia, as they contribute to the communities’ development by new jobs creation.

Ms. Läubli was followed by the director of WWF Armenia, Karen Manvelyan, who mentioned the importance of living in harmony with nature and the fact that similar to “Ahnidzor” guesthouses have conceptual fundamentals aimed at nature preservation.

Arman Matevosyan, the Administrative Head of Ahnidzor settlement, expressed hope that the only guest house in the community will become a favorite place for tourists in a short period of time.

The red ribbon cutting ceremony and greetings were followed by a tour of the guest house.