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.
