First Artificial Snow System to Launch in Armenia: Kerobyan

In 2023, the first artificial snow system will be launched in Armenia, allowing for an extended tourism season. This announcement was made today by the Minister of Economy, Vahan Kerobyan, during the government Q&A session in parliament, in response to a question regarding the development of a ski resort on the slopes of Mount Aragats.

He noted that discussions are ongoing with the French company 'Societe de Trois Vallees' for participation in this project, which had previously lost in the management competition for another resort project, 'Mailer'. The company, which operates the Courchevel ski resorts, has shown great interest in working in Armenia and is preparing to meet with suppliers of ski lift equipment materials in Innsbruck, Austria, the very next day.

In addition to the ski lift, an eco-village with 300 mini-farms and guest houses is planned to be created. A reservoir with a volume of 3 million cubic meters is set to be constructed for water supply. Here, they aim to install the first artificial snow system in the country.

The 'Mailer' project is also in development, with its first phase having started near the village of Yeghipatrush in Aragatsotn Province at the end of February this year. During two weekends when the resort was operational, it welcomed 18,000 tourists, given adequate snowfall.

"In this village, the market value of the land has already risen nearly 200 times, but the important part is not that, but rather that new hotels and other facilities are set to be constructed there," said the minister.

The resort on the slopes of Mount Aragats is planned to be located on an area of 4,400 hectares between the villages of Vardenut, Aragats, Arai, and Shenavan (also in Aragatsotn). The project's investor is 'Rid' LLC, with shares held by the well-known businessman Ruben Grigoryan's Russian company 'Rutsog-invest'.