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29 Oct 2004
The Armenian Tourism Development Agency (ATDA) will be presenting Armenia and the Armenian Tourism Industry at the prestigious World Travel Market (WTM) in London from November 8th to the 11th, 2004 marking its fourth consecutive attendance with each year securing maximum benefits and growth for its burgeoning tourism trade. This year Armenia will be introduced to the British and world travel market by ATDA together with Armenia Travel +M, Jason Travel and Tufenkian Hospitality.
Armenia’s participation at WTM 2004 was made possible with the invaluable financial assistance provided by the British Embassy in Armenia which enabled Armenia’s travel industry’s continuous presence to this popular tourism exhibition.
Open exclusively to the trade, WTM is the international travel industry’s premier business-to-business forum with over 5,000 leading suppliers and 44,000 industry professionals from over 190 countries exhibiting this November. 25 years old this year, WTM is recognised as a meeting ground to negotiate and exchange vital contracts, source new products and services and learn about the latest worldwide industry developments, network and new destinations.
With this in mind Armenia’s representation at this event is fundamental to showcase Armenia as a compelling “four season new destination� and to highlight all of Armenia’s treasures—its rich arts, architecture, and archaeology, as well as its cultural and religious history within its impressive exhibit through press packages and informational materials.
The WTM exhibition hall is grouped according to geographic destination making it easy to find and accessible to all. For all visitors to London during WTM, the ATDA/Armenia exhibit will be located in London's ExCeL at EM197.
For further information about ATDA, WTM or other industry exhibitions and events, please visit us at www.armeniainfo.am on the web, 3 Nalbandyan Street in Yerevan, or call us at 54-23-03. We are always ready to provide information on this and other Armenian Tourism matters.
25 Oct 2004
The Armenian Tourism Development Agency (ATDA) hold a press conference on 28th of October, 2004 at 15:00 at the ARMENIAInformation Visitor Information Center on 3 Nalbandyan Street to present Armenia’s recent and forthcoming attendance at the travel industry’s most reputed trade shows such as 2004 JATA World Tourism Congress and Travel Fair in Tokyo from September 23rd - 26th, 2004 Arab World Travel and Tourism Exchange /AWTTE/ in Beirut from October 7th - 10th, and the upcoming 2004 World Travel Market /WTM/ in London from November 8th - 11th.
ATDA, working actively with many Armenian tour operators, agencies, and other tourism representatives, has developed a winning program and marketing strategy designed to further Armenia’s reputation as a “four season destination� for world travelers and tourism professionals at premier international tourism exhibitions. This year was particularly remarkable for Armenia’s first ever appearance at the Arabic market as a preferable tourist destination which was greatly supported by the Armenian Embassy in Beirut. In addition Armenia once again highlighted its presence in the Japanese market for the second time since 2002, where it received a very warm welcome by the Japanese travel trade and public alike.
JATA Travel Fair in Tokyo, AWTTE in Beirut and WTM in London are among the largest travel trade and consumer tourism exhibitions, which provide unrivalled opportunities for exhibitors to reach key targets for travel promotion, to negotiate and exchange beneficial contracts, source new products and services and learn about the latest worldwide industry developments, network and new destinations.
ATDA/Armenia exhibit showcases an amazing array of experiences Armenia offers to the world traveler through its impressive series of photos, artifacts, and handicrafts and a generous sampling of Armenia’s legendary hospitality.
For further information about ATDA and industry exhibitions and events, please visit us at www.armeniainfo.am on the web, 3 Nalbandyan Street in Yerevan, or call us at
54-23-03/6. We are always happy to provide information on this and other Armenian Tourism matters .
16 Oct 2004
Armenia reveals ancient treasures, new life
Mountains, monasteries and modern capital
- Jane Wampler, Special to The Chronicle
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Yerevan, Armenia -- On a clear autumn day, the smell of fresh cement and the sound of chisels and hammers permeates the capital city of Armenia. Sidewalk cafes overflow with suited businessmen and couples talk over demitasse cups of strong, boiled coffee. Fashionable women in rimless sunglasses and stiletto heels walk arm in arm, sidestepping wheelbarrows and loose paving stones, and several new luxury hotels are nearly booked to capacity.
It's clear that Armenia is making a comeback. Again.
After surviving genocide, 70 years of Soviet domination, a devastating earthquake in 1988 and millennia of foreign marauders who whittled this once- massive kingdom to one-tenth of its size, this Eurasian country of 3 million inhabitants is reassuming its role of phoenix.
Because it was cloaked behind the Iron Curtain for most of the 20th century, few Westerners, until recently, have glimpsed of this culturally rich, mountain republic tucked between the Caspian and the Black seas. What only the privileged have known, until this past decade, is that this is an astonishingly beautiful country of high mountain lakes, snow-capped peaks, ancient monasteries, cascading rivers and archeological ruins so impressive they ought to be behind the velvet ropes of a museum.
Perhaps more significantly, for a region of the world more associated with terror than tourism, many Westerners are surprised to hear that this predominantly Christian nation -- bordered by Iran, Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan -- is politically stable and welcoming to tourists.
Try to buy a single peach from a roadside fruit stand and the old woman will wave your money away. Ask a farmer if you may take a photo of him with his crop of newly harvested red peppers, and he will press a bag of 20 of them into your hand, refusing payment.
The prices are particularly tourist-friendly. At Old Erivan Restaurant, one of Yerevan's dozens of eateries that serve quality Armenian fare , my husband and I enjoy a meal of lavash, tomato and cucumber salad, a cheese platter, lamb stew and khorovatz (a meat and vegetable shish kebab) -- washed down with several strong Armenian beers -- for under $15.
Drawing on the past
The rebirth of Armenia after the end of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s has had financial help from the approximately 8 million members of the Armenian Diaspora, 1.4 million of whom live in the United States (1 million in the Los Angeles area alone). Many are descendants of those who perished or fled during the 1915-25 Turkish genocide.
While those who visited shortly after Armenia regained independent statehood found gutted factories and streets stripped of trees for fuel, today they find fountains spraying and flowers blooming along boulevards lined with Russian olive and locust trees. Crowds of stylishly dressed mothers and children walk down Khanjian Street to buy roasted coffee beans, potatoes, onions, ice-cream and fried sweet cakes from street vendors.
But despite Armenia's forays into modernism and self-sufficiency, the rich and tragic past hasn't dimmed. Nor does anyone want it to: Armenia's 4, 000-year-old history is its main draw.
Many consider this country the cradle of civilization. The biblical rivers of Tigris and Euphrates originate in the original Armenia, the 16,945- foot-high snow-capped Mount Ararat (now inside Turkey's borders) holds what many believe to be the remnants of Noah's Ark in its crevasses, and there even is reference in the Bible to Ararat, the name of the former Armenian kingdom.
In 301 A.D., Armenia became the first nation to embrace Christianity as a state religion (a dozen years before Rome) -- another factor that shapes this tiny republic's past and present tourist appeal.
A common sight from spring through fall are "monastery tours": busloads of people on weeklong organized sightseeing excursions that shuttle from such Hellenistic pagan temples as the 1st century Garni, to the 3rd century Echmiadzin (ETCH-me-OTT-sin) Cathedral, home to the Supreme Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox faith. At Echmiadzin (think: Vatican but smaller) nonbelievers mingle with pilgrims to view ancient silver chalices, bejeweled crosses and religious relics such as a metal spearhead believed to have pierced the side of Christ.
Travels with Boris
Group tours are plentiful, but if you want to strike out solo, consider hiring a driver who speaks English to ferry you through the countryside, or even to the main sites of the capital city. That's what we did during a one- week visit in late September. We found our driver, Boris (a former Soviet- system mathematician now struggling, like many of the highly educated, to reinvent himself), through the Armenian Tourism Development Agency, which was happy to supply us with a list of recommended English-speaking guides.
We chose several sites, all southeast of Yerevan, for a 2- 1/2 day excursion. They included the famous dungeon of Khor Virap; Noravank monastery; the historically and spiritually significant Tatev Monastery; the Bronze Age celestial observatory, the Zorats Stones; and a natural wonder, Devil's Bridge. Boris was more than willing to pack an overnight bag and accompany us.
Something to keep in mind: Although the map shows Armenia to be a small country, getting from point A to point B can take longer than you anticipate. There are no super highways here. And it takes time to wait out cattle crossings, to dodge potholes and to wind up narrow mountain roads.
On the first morning of our excursion, we emerged, bleary-eyed from the Congress Hotel in Yerevan. Boris was waiting for us, polishing the windshield of his red Niva, a Soviet-made SUV. Within an hour we were watching Mount Ararat turn an orangey pink and by 10:30 a.m. Boris announced what would become a comforting ritual: a coffee break. He pulled the car over to the side of the road and removed from his trunk a small propane stove, a bag of powdered coffee, sugar and three small china cups.
While we took in the views, Boris set out the coffee with sweet cakes (kizgiel, baked early that morning by his wife, Jana) and jam for a makeshift picnic on the roadside rocks. We drank our coffee in the squat position, like Boris, and poured the remaining hot water over our jam-stained, sticky fingers.
Khor Virap is an eerie place with two claims to fame: The church complex was built atop the well where St. Gregory the Illuminator had been imprisoned (depending on who is telling the story) for 12 to 17 years only to emerge and baptize the King and Queen of Armenia and herald the introduction of Armenia as the first Christian nation. Climb down into the narrow pit on a ladder and when you're through imagining Gregory's claustrophobia, climb back out to the blazing sun and get the closest view of Mount Ararat in all of Armenia -- the Turkish border is within walking distance from here.
Noravank, perched on a forested cliff top, high above a river gorge and surrounded by caves, is a 13th century monastery surrounded by dramatic red rock outcroppings. On a bright afternoon, there was nobody else wandering the compound. A hawk circled overhead in the clear sky. We wandered the church grounds and tracde khatchkars ("cross stones" -- unique and elaborate crosses carved on tufa or basalt tablets found primarily in Armenia) with our fingertips.
There was no shortage of natural beauty on this journey. We hikde along the verdant banks of a stream below the monastery and, on the drive out of the gorge, noticed many caverns tucked into the outcroppings. In one of them, an enterprising man has converted the cave into a clean and comfortable restaurant. We weren't the only sightseers who found him: As we ventured into the cozy grotto, we saw him shuttling pitchers of red wine, hard-boiled eggs, barbecued pork and grilled vegetables to a table of raucous Russians, the largest of whom was wearing a drunken grin, a traditional sheepherder's cloak and crooked hat.
About this time we discovered that Boris perceived his job as more than driver. We were his charges, and it was a role he assumed gravely. He was protector, wrinkling his brow in concern as the sheepherder and his friends loudly insisedt that we share a mug of wine, and negotiator, finagling the best price for our hotel room in Sisian later that evening.
Shades of Stonehenge
The next morning, we left our cold and dank hotel shortly after dawn because we were eager to see the Zorats stones -- or Zorakar -- in the day's first light. This circular arrangement of stones, thought to be a celestial observatory, is similar to England's Stonehenge, but older. The Bronze Age phenomenon lies on a barren rolling plain just outside of Sisian, and, like most other natural and manmade wonders in Armenia, is startlingly unprotected and un-commercialized. Only the snowcapped mountains, which loom over the windy field, stand guard. We wandered through the deserted site of lichen-covered stones and peered through holes that the ancient cosmographers might have drilled to better view the heavens.
The road to Tatev is bumpy, but it soon opens to reveal a lushly wooded canyon -- the monastery perched on top like a crown. Indeed, this 9th century complex was viewed as something of a prize to invaders who attacked the site in numerous bloody waves. Other than a caretaker (an old woman who appeared periodically to gather pears that have fallen beneath a courtyard tree) we were once again practically alone, free to explore the faded frescoes in dark rooms; to consider the grisly remnants of a fairly recent chicken sacrifice; to climb the lurchy heights of the fortified walls, and to imagine the 13th century Mongols who, historians say, pushed Christians into the gorge.
Our only disappointment was Devil's Bridge, which we passed on the way to Tatev. The rock formation and hot springs might be beautiful, but the site is trashed by beer bottles, cigarette wrappers and other remnants of partying. It would have been better to stay longer at Tatev sipping a cup of Boris' ubiquitous coffee or just soaking in the sun on one of the precipices before the long drive back to Yerevan.
'New Armenia' in the city
Back in Yerevan -- with its rich history and plethora of significant museums and fun restaurants -- we find no shortage of things to do.
This city of 1.3 million is culturally vibrant and staggeringly old, older than Rome -- by 29 years. To put that in perspective, when construction workers happened to ram into a 700-year-old stone aqueduct, as they did last summer, it hardly registered a blip on their archaeological radar screen.
The National Museum on bustling Republic Square -- formerly called Lenin Square -- is as good of a starting place as any to get a flavor for the country. Also known as the State Museum of Armenian History, it has an English-speaking guide who can show you Uratian cuneiform inscriptions dating back to the 8th century B.C. and 3,000-year-old silver rhytons (drinking vessels), wine vats and horse carriages uncovered in Lake Sevan.
From there, you can branch out to other not-to-be-missed sites (the streets are arranged in a compact, easy-to-navigate pattern, and anything too hard to reach by foot is a cheap cab ride away.) Stroll through the Vernissage, a festive outdoor market that operates each weekend near Republic Square. Here you'll find accordions, old toasters, Russian nesting dolls, obscure car parts, jewelry and strolling musicians. The "closed bazaar," a football stadium-sized indoor market on West Mashtots Avenue, brims with fresh fruits and vegetables displayed like gleaming jewels, and brightly colored spices measured with a one-ounce shot glass.
The Matenadaran rare document museum (at 53 Mesrop Mashtots St.) houses an extraordinary collection of ancient manuscripts, some dating to the 9th century. An English tour guide -- just $2.50 above the regular $4 admission fee -- will heighten the experience. The highlight is a huge 15th century book of Armenian history. It was ripped in half and smuggled out of the country by two peasant women, at great peril, during the 1915 genocide. Both women, and both halves of the book, survived.
This museum pays homage to Mesrop Mashtots, the founder of the Armenian alphabet, unchanged since its inception in 405 A.D. That the alphabet and the Armenian language are still intact after nearly 2,000 years is evidence of a country that has fiercely resisted assimilation.
Echoing Saroyan
Armenians are fond of naming streets after, and quoting, their heroes, from playwrights to poets to war generals. But it is novelist William Saroyan who is most often quoted when Armenians talk about their country coming perilously close to, then back from, the brink of extinction more times than they can count. His most famous quote speaks to the resilience of his people:
"I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard and prayers are no more answered. . . . Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a new Armenia."
Saroyan's words have never been more relevant, according to the editor of Armenian International Magazine in Yerevan, which caters to English-speaking Armenians.
"We only had two choices: a downward spiral after Soviet totalitarianism or to blossom," said Laura Gononian. "And we're blossoming. We're undergoing a renaissance in art, music and in building. We're like the phoenix -- we keep getting pounded and we keep coming back."
IF YOU GO
Spring and autumn are the best times to visit, with moderate temperatures and dry weather. The official currency is the Armenian dram, but U.S. dollars are widely used. At press time $1 equals 585 dram. Yerevan has a cash economy, so credit cards aren't helpful here. All prices below are given in U.S. dollars; all locations are in Yerevan...
Getting there
A passport and visa are required. Three-week tourist visas are relatively easy to obtain through the Armenian consulate in Los Angeles (for details, click on "Consular Affairs" at www.armeniaemb.org or call 310-657-6102), or at Zvarnots Airport upon arrival. British Airways is the leading carrier serving Armenia, with flights from London to Yerevan three times a week. Upon arrival at Zvarnots, the 20-minute cab ride to the city center should cost about $15...
What to do
In Yerevan, your first stop should be the Armenian Tourism Development Agency at 3 Nalbandyan St., not far from Republic Square (look for the red pomegranate sign above their doorway). The staff is bend-over-backwards helpful and can provide you with maps, books on Armenian history, hotel information, and phone numbers of reputable guides and drivers. Phone: (011) 374-10-54-23- 03 or 54-47-91.
Sightseeing tour operators: Menua Tours (www.menuatours.com), Sati (www.satiglobal.com) and Princess Maneh (maneh@netsys.am) are just three of the many travel agencies that offer sightseeing tours in Armenia. If you plan to hike Mount Aragat (not Ararat, which is in Turkey), note that most tour operators stop leading trips up the peak after Sept. 30...
Where to stay
Congress Hotel, 1 Italia Street (just south of Republic Square). 011-374-10-58-00-95; fax 011-374-10-52-22-24; e-mail congress@arminco.com. A clean and modern four-star facility, it has small rooms with private baths and air conditioning, plus a pool, fitness center, restaurant and bar. Doubles, $100.
Armenia Marriott Hotel Yerevan, 1 Amirian Street, at Republic Square. 011-374-10-59-90-00; e-mail: info@hotelarmenia.com. Formerly the Hotel Armenia, it's considered by many to be the city's flagship hotel The rooms are on the small side but they are nice, with private baths, air conditioning, satellite television and phones. Facilities include two restaurants, cafe, bar, health club and business services. Doubles, $140. Includes breakfast buffet...
PLACES TO EAT
Dolmama, 10 Pushkin St., 011-374-10-56-8921. Owner Jarair Avanian has created an upscale but cozy continental eatery centrally located in downtown Yerevan. Entrees range from $13 to $18.
Old Erivan, 2 Northern Ave., 011-374-10-54-05-75). This four-story eatery is actually several restaurants under one roof, with dining rooms ranging from elegant European to rooftop al fresco dining with traditional Armenian food and live folk music. The ambitious décor and lively entertainment is belied by the moderate prices. Entrees range from $5 to $7...
For more information
The Armenian embassy Web site www.armeniaemb.org has sightseeing tips and lodging information under its "Discover Armenia" link. Other helpful Web sites include www.armeniadiaspora.com and www.armeniainfo.am.
Jane Wampler is a freelance writer in Colorado. This is their first article for Travel.
All images ©gaylonwamplerphotography.com 03 Oct 2004
The Armenian Tourism Development Agency (ATDA) will be representing Armenia and the Armenian tourism industry at the AWTTE Arab World Travel and Tourism Exchange in Beirut from October 7-10, 2004. Republic of Armenia participates in this important event for the first time. Armenia is going to be represented by ATDA, Yerkir Nairi tour agency, Europe Hotel and Ani Plaza Hotel.
ATDA, working actively with many Armenian tour operators, agencies, and other tourism representatives, has developed a winning program and marketing strategy designed to further Armenia’s reputation as a “four season destination� for world travelers and tourism professionals.
AWTTE Arab World Travel and Tourism Exchange in Beirut is another opportunity to enlarge our target tourism population, specifically in Arabic market.
For the past 10 years Al-lktissad Wal-Aram Group has been responding to the Arab world’s need for regional and country-specific conferences designed to join private companies and policy makers to promote regional development. The group organizes numerous conferences in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe on topics of chief concern to Arab economies. The accent of the conference is made on building economic ties, capital markets, tourism, insurance, investment, IT and telecommunications and infrastructure.
The Arab World Travel and Tourism Exchange (ATTE 2003) Exhibition and Conference took place in Beirut in October 16-19, 2003 under the management of Al-lktissad Wal-Aamal Group and the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism. A 30% of increase was registered in exhibiting companies from AWTTE 2002 event. AWTTE 2003 was held under the patronage of the Lebanese President represented by Lebanon’s Minister of Tourism.
AWTTE 2004 is expected to receive an increase of 20% in exhibiting companies and 30% in visitors (trade and public) over the previous year. The Al-lktissad Wal-Aram Group will initiate new services for the 2004 edition of AWTTE based on the success of AWTTE 2003 and on the positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors alike.
Armenia’s representation at such events is integral to securing maximal benefits and growth for its burgeoning tourist trade and all its related industry interests and economic ventures.
For further information about AWTTE Arab World Travel and Tourism Exchange in Beirut from October 7-10, 2004 or other exhibitions and events, please visit us at 3 Nalbandyan Street in Yerevan, or call us at 54-23-03/06. We are more than happy to provide information on this and other Armenian tourism matters.
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