Investing in Local Economies: Tourism Powers Jobs and Growth in Armenia

Ara Felekian
World Bank
Apr 4 2026

Story Highlights

  • Armenia is unlocking the potential of tourism by investing in improved accessibility for cultural heritage sites like medieval monasteries, historic towns, and neighborhoods.
  • World Bank-backed efforts have helped revitalize nearby municipalities, creating opportunities for small businesses that are employing locals and reinvesting in their communities.
  • These initiatives provided people with renewed hope while diversifying the economy, generating jobs, and attracting diaspora Armenians.

Armenia has long been called an open-air museum. The country’s medieval monasteries, historic towns, and ancient folk traditions and customs have long been admired, yet in many regions the economic benefits of tourism have been constrained. Poor roads, limited accessibility, and lack of infrastructure kept many of these sites out of reach, limiting how communities could reap the rewards of inflows of domestic and international visitors.

Recognizing how investing in cultural heritage preservation and conservation could help diversify the country’s economy, revitalize rural communities, and reduce poverty, the Government of Armenia and the World Bank have worked together to invest in tourism. 

Through the Local Economy and Infrastructure Development (LEID) Project, efforts focused on making selected sites more accessible to visitors: paving and expanding roads across the country; installing ramps, guardrails, outdoor lighting, and seating; restoring the public spaces and establishing regional tourism centers. 

Investment Attracts Visitors, Fuels Private Sector Growth

One site impacted by the project was the Marmashen Monastery complex, dating back to the 10th century. Having survived numerous hardships over the centuries, including earthquakes and invasions, this historical site has until recently remained largely inaccessible to visitors who had to travel to it via a dirt road snaking through steep mountain passes. As a result, only about 3,000 visitors a year were making the trek to Marmashen. 

Since the upgrade of the route to the monastery, which included paving an access road 2.4 kilometers in length, the number of visitors has surged to more than 40,000 annually.  “In 2013, when I was appointed abbot of the monastery, throughout that entire year, we had only two baptisms here,” emphasizes Father Paren. “Following the road’s renovation, it is not only on Saturdays and Sundays that pilgrims or visitors come to Marmashen for services. Now ceremonies are held every weekday. We have 300-400 worshippers daily.”  

The LEID Project took a hub-and-spoke approach to investing in 28 subprojects connected to 17 project sites across nine regions of Armenia.  This approach connected the main destinations with surrounding locations, increasing the inflow of tourists and expanding the demand for new services in the local communities. These efforts help fuel an influx of tourists for cafe and guesthouse owners, tour operators, taxi drivers, artisans, craft producers, and restaurateurs, LEID’s impact meant longer stays, fuller tables, and year-round income instead of seasonal lulls and uncertainty. That surge in spending and private investment by entrepreneurs jumping into the tourism sector translated into tangible job creation in communities across Armenia.

A Reason to Return, Stay, and Build a Future

All this public and private investment in tourism and nearby infrastructure is giving residents a reason to stay and, in some cases, giving Armenians living abroad a reason to return. 

The dual shocks of 2020—the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict with Azerbaijan—disproportionately affected border regions, reversing economic gains in Armenia’s south. In the city of Goris, post-conflict fragility threatened several economic sectors and disrupted tourism flows by deepening the sense of instability and increasing the risk of out-migration.

With World Bank support, 36 culturally significant old houses were restored, downtown and historic urban areas upgraded, including streets, energy efficient streetlights, rehabilitation of fountains and parks, and installing benches and wastebins. Private investors followed public upgrades. Hotels expanded, businesses flourished, and the city welcomed unprecedented numbers of domestic and international visitors.

“Many people have opened hotels, seeing that tourism in Meghri is growing,” explains Noubar Shakeryan, the founder of Balcony Caffe, who moved back to the town in the country’s south, as LEID renovated local urban infrastructure. “I have no regrets about moving to Meghri, or about returning to Armenia. It was the best decision I have ever made.”

Tourism has become not just a cultural asset but a resilient engine for growth and jobs capable of absorbing economic, humanitarian and environmental shocks in some regions while sustaining opportunity in others. 

Many people have opened hotels, seeing that tourism in Meghri is growing. I have no regrets about moving to Meghri, or about returning to Armenia. It was the best decision I have ever made.Noubar Shakeryan
Founder of Balcony Caffe

With a new tourism development project now underway to scale upon LEID’s success and investments in seve tourism clusters across the country, Armenia is building a tourism model that ensures its most precious historical treasures bring resilient economic growth and new opportunities for communities.

Armenia is proving that when public investment in infrastructure connects cultural and natural heritage to markets, it can catalyze jobs and private sector growth. 

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Armenia: Defense Questions Legality Of Archbishop Bagrat Wiretapping

Emil Lazarian
EurasiaReview
Apr 4 2026
 April 4, 2026  0 Comments

By PanARMENIAN

The defense of Archbishop Bagrat in the Sacred Struggle case has requested the court to clarify the legal basis on which wiretapping of the cleric and other individuals was conducted.

The motion was submitted by defense lawyer Hovhannes Khudoyan during a hearing at the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction, presided over by Judge Karen Farkhoyan, Pastinfo reports.

Khudoyan argued that if law enforcement authorities lacked legal grounds to initiate proceedings and carry out surveillance, then all subsequent actions would also be unlawful.

“We are raising a very simple question: was the initiation of the case lawful? It is unclear to me why the public prosecutor insists that evidence should first be examined and only afterward the issue of legal grounds addressed. Naturally, if the prosecution fails to present the relevant data to the court, then in the absence of such information, the entire trial becomes meaningless and no evidence can be properly examined.

The working time of the court, the prosecutor, and the defense, as well as the right to a trial within a reasonable time, directly depend on whether this case can proceed at all. And the position on that issue is clear — whether sufficient grounds existed or not. From a legal standpoint, the prosecution’s approach is unclear; from the perspective of political persecution, it is entirely understandable,” Khudoyan said.

Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan was detained overnight between June 25 and 26, 2025. Armenia’s Investigative Committee stated that participants and leaders of the Sacred Struggle movement had planned terrorist acts and actions aimed at seizing power. His detention has since been repeatedly extended.

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Pashinyan And Putin: Frenemies In Kremlin

Antranik Varosian
EurasiaReview
Apr 4 2026
 April 4, 2026  0 Comments

By Eurasianet

(Eurasianet) — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian leader Vladimir Putin were not in a jesting mood during an April Fools’ Day meeting in the Kremlin. The two traded far-from-subtle barbs on a range of subjects, including Armenia’s upcoming elections and Yerevan’s efforts to improve relations with the European Union.

In public comments opening the Kremlin meeting, the two made passing references to the two countries’ “open, trusting” relationship and “civilizational affinity.” But their respective statements were also loaded with coded language that underscored their growing differences. 

Referring to Armenia’s upcoming June 7 parliamentary vote, which offers voters a stark choice about the country’s geo-economic future, Putin made it clear to Pashinyan that Russia is not a passive observer and is keen to keep Yerevan in its geopolitical orbit. He stated that dual Armenian-Russian citizens should be allowed to run for seats in the Armenian parliament, including Samvel Karapetyan, the founder and funder of “Strong Armenia,” one of the leading opposition challengers to Pashinyan’s Civic Contract party. Karapetyan is presently under house arrest, charged with money laundering and anti-state activities. 

“We would like them all to be able, at the very least, to participate in this domestic political process,” Putin said. He added with a hint of menace that Russia has “many friends in Armenia – many.”

Armenian officials and international watchdog groups have accused Russia of trying to influence the election outcome by funneling assistance to anti-Pashinyan groups and waging a disinformation campaign via broadcast outlets and social media.

Pashinyan parried Putin’s thrust and tossed a few disses back at the Kremlin leader. He bluntly told Putin that “only citizens holding an Armenian passport – and no other nationality – can run in these elections.”

He proceeded to cast shade on Putin’s authoritarian ways by underscoring the competitiveness of the Armenian parliamentary race. “Regarding our internal political processes, Armenia is a democratic country, you know, and we actually always have political processes, and this is already commonplace for us,” he said. 

Pashinyan also took a dig at Putin’s efforts to exert total control over Russia’s information space, noting that in Armenia, “our social media, for example, is 100 percent free. There are no restrictions at all.”

The two additionally jousted over the Armenian government’s efforts to seek membership in the European Union, even though Yerevan is already a member of the Moscow-led rival economic organization, the Eurasian Economic Union. (EAEU).

Putin told Pashinyan flatly that Armenian membership in both the EU and EAEU is “simply untenable.”

The Armenian prime minister batted away Putin’s concern.

“What we are doing, and the agenda we have, at least at present, they [Armenia’s relationships with the EU and EAEU] are compatible,” he said. “When the processes develop to the point where a decision must be made, I am confident that we, the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, will take that decision.”

Pashinyan took Putin to task over Russia’s failure to fulfill its obligations under the Collective Security Treaty Organization by not coming to Armenia’s aid during the Second Karabakh War, a grievance that caused Yerevan to suspend its participation in the security alliance. “We are currently not participating in the work of the CSTO for one simple reason: we still have no explanation to offer to our people as to why the CSTO failed to respond,” the Armenian prime minister stated.

Pashinyan ended his statement on a positive and defiant note, in effect telling Putin that he better get used to Armenia’s efforts to diversify its geopolitical choices. He also conveyed confidence about his re-election chances.

“I am confident that after our upcoming elections, democracy in Armenia and the people’s power in Armenia will be further strengthened,” he said.

The Russian reaction to Pashinyan’s Kremlin performance has been characteristically cranky and threatening.

Top Russian officials, such as Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, have taken to attacking Pashinyan for what they characterize as a display of insolence. “Armenia has come very close to the point where will have to reconsider our economic relations with this country,” he said.

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Dr. Taner Akçam is keynote speaker at San Diego Armenian Genocide Commemorati

Ani Basmajian
San Diego Union Tribune
Apr 4 2026
Dr. Taner Akçam is keynote speaker at San Diego Armenian Genocide Commemoration event

On Sunday, April 26, at 1 p.m., the San Diego Armenian community will feature renowned professor and scholar Dr. Taner Akçam as the keynote speaker at its 2026 Armenian Genocide Commemoration, to be held at St. Sarkis Armenian Church in Carmel Valley.

Akçam is the inaugural director of the Armenian Genocide Research Program of the Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA. Previously he was the Kaloosdian and Mugar chair in Modern Armenian History and Genocide in the Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University, according to a news release.

Akçam is widely recognized as one of the first Turkish scholars to write extensively on the Ottoman-Turkish Genocide of the Armenians in the early 20th century. His latest book is Killing Orders: Talat Pasha’s Telegrams and the Armenian Genocide (Palgrave 2018). He last spoke in San Diego in 2018 and is very pleased to be returning to the ever-growing San Diego Armenian community, the news release stated.

The cultural program will feature musical performances by youth and adults of the San Diego Armenian community, and a Q&A with Akçam after his remarks. Refreshments will be served after the event. The church is located at 13925 El Camino Real, San Diego, 92130.

The commemoration committee is co-chaired by Hygan Nalbandian and Sarah Baghdasarian and is comprised of representatives from all San Diego Armenian organizations, including St. Sarkis Armenian Church, and Very Rev. Fr. Pakrad Berjekian, Parish Priest; all St. Sarkis Church organizations, and the San Diego chapters ANCA, ARF, ARS, ASA, Homenetmen, Knights and Daughters of Vartan, and Trex Fraternity, the news release stated.

For more information, contact [email protected].

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Yerevan named the conditions under which Armenia will withdraw from the CSTO a

Emil Lazarian
EurasiaDaily
Apr 4 2026
Yerevan named the conditions under which Armenia will withdraw from the CSTO and the EAEU

The scenario in which Armenia withdraws from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is unlikely.

This was reported on Saturday, April 4 by the TASS news agency, referring to the statement of the Speaker of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Armenia Alain Simonyan.

He expressed his forecasts at a briefing, answering a question about the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Moscow.

Simonyan admitted that Yerevan may decide to withdraw from the CSTO and the EAC if the Russian side raises gas prices for Armenia.

“I must say that if such a decision is made, Armenia will make its decision and finally withdraw from both the CSTO and the EAEU and other structures. But I don’t think it will come to that,” the politician said.

He commented on the talks about a possible increase in gas tariffs for Armenia and noted that such proposals have been repeatedly raised in the public field and have been discussed for many years.

The Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia also commented on the meeting of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan with Russian President Vladimir Putin and called it a “very working and effective” conversation.

“I have said and I repeat: we have not done anything against Russia, we are not doing it and we are not going to do it. But at the same time, we have defended and will continue to defend the interests of Armenia,” the speaker said vaguely.

Earlier, EADaily reported that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s visit to Moscow was a fork in the road for Armenia’s political choice. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Yerevan’s drift towards the EU will lead to a break with Eurasian integration.

Read more: https://eadaily.com/en/news/2026/04/04/yerevan-named-the-conditions-under-which-armenia-will-withdraw-from-the-csto-and-the-eaeu

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Turkish press: Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan named candidate for premier i

Garnik Tadevosian
Anadolu Agency, Turkey
Apr 4 2026

Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan named candidate for premier in upcoming elections

Armenia’s Civil Contract party approves its list of candidates for June 7 polls

Kanyshai Butun

ISTANBUL

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was unanimously nominated Saturday as the Civil Contract party’s candidate for premier in early parliamentary elections set for June.

According to state news agency Armenpress, at an extraordinary party conference, the Civil Contract party approved its list of candidates.

The parliamentary polls are set for June 7. Pashinyan has served as the country’s prime minister since 2018.


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Armenia threatens to walk away from Russia-led bloc, sets condition

Hambik Zargarian
RBC Ukraine
Apr 4 2026
Sat, April 04, 2026 – 17:00
2 min
Yerevan warns of tough response if Moscow raises Russian gas prices

Dariia Yankovska

Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan said Yerevan could decide to leave the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) if Russia raises gas prices for the country, NEWS.am reports.

Read also: South Caucasus slipping from Russia’s hands thanks to ‘Trump route’

According to the outlet, Simonyan made the remarks on April 4 during a briefing ahead of an extraordinary meeting of the Civil Contract party, commenting on the meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The speaker said such discussions between the sides are not new, noting that issues such as gas prices and other goods have been under discussion for many years.

Simonyan said that if a relevant decision is made, Armenia “will make its decision” and withdraw from both the CSTO and the Eurasian Economic Union.

At the same time, he stressed that he does not believe it will come to that, noting that after the issue was raised, the two leaders held a “very good, productive and constructive conversation.”

Armenia’s parliament speaker said that during contacts with the Russian side, Armenian premier conveyed Yerevan’s position, and assessments circulating online largely align with his own view.

“We have done nothing against Russia, we are doing nothing, and we will do nothing, but at the same time we will defend the interests of the Republic of Armenia,” Speaker Simonyan emphasized.

Earlier, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during a meeting with Vladimir Putin, stressed that there are no political prisoners in Armenia and that social media remains fully free. He also said that democracy is a fundamental principle for Yerevan, even though some citizens view the level of political activity as excessive.

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Jaishankar thanks Armenia for assisting evacuation of Indian fishermen from Ir

Yeghisabet Arthur
The Statesman, India
Apr 4 2026

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday expressed gratitude to his Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, and the Government of Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen from Iran, as efforts continue to bring back Indian nationals amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday expressed gratitude to his Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, and the Government of Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen from Iran, as efforts continue to bring back Indian nationals amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

“Thank FM @AraratMirzoyan and the Government of Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen today from Iran through Armenia to India,” the External Affairs Minister said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed that a total of 345 fishermen arrived in Chennai from Iran via Armenia this evening.

Earlier, on April 2, the MEA had said that India is closely monitoring all developments related to the Strait of Hormuz, adding that so far, around 1,200 Indian nationals, including 845 students, have been assisted in exiting Iran through land borders into Armenia and Azerbaijan amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

“Of these, 996 have crossed into Armenia and 204 into Azerbaijan,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said while addressing an inter-ministerial briefing in the national capital on the situation arising out of the conflict in West Asia.

https://www.thestatesman.com/india/jaishankar-thanks-armenia-for-assisting-evacuation-of-indian-fishermen-from-iran-1503577780.html

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Armenpress: US special forces enter Iran to rescue downed airman – The Telegra

Torgomian Varazdat
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

US special forces entered Iran on Friday night to rescue a crew member of a downed F-15 fighter jet, The Telegraph reported. 

The U.S. government has yet to report on such an operation.

Two crew members ejected in the shoot-down, reports suggested, triggering a race between Iran and the US to find the stranded American airmen.

One was rescued in an operation involving two US military helicopters and low-flying refuelling aircraft, which were targeted by light weaponry.

Iranian broadcasts offered a $60,000 bounty for the capture of the other airman. 

Although Iran claimed it had downed a newer F-35 aircraft, analysts reported that images of the wreckage, including an ejection seat, are consistent with an F-15.

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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India thanks Armenia for facilitating evacuations of nationals from Iran

Alex Jidarian
Read the article in: ArabicՀայերենRussian

India’s Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has thanked Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan for facilitating the evacuation of Indian nationals from neighboring Iran.

“Thank FM Ararat Mirzoyan and the Government of Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen today from Iran, through Armenia to India,” Jaishankar said on X.

Earlier in March, Jaishankar again expressed gratitude to Armenia for facilitating evacuations. At that time, more than 550 Indian nationals had been evacuated from Iran via Armenia.

Since the outbreak of the war in Iran on Feb. 28, citizens of dozens of countries have been evacuated through Armenia.

Read the article in: ArabicՀայերենRussian

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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