25 May 2015, 16:10
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How to Open the Doors of the Armenian tourism

If you have ever traveled for business or leisure, before making any travel arrangements, you most likely spent hours on the Internet researching the country that you will be visiting and tried to connect with people who have been there before to get insights about their experiences.  A group of young Armenians found a way to introduce Armenia to tourists through a new, innovative platform.  The platform provides users with information on how to get to Armenia, what sights to visit, and how much will the trip cost.

 The Armenian travel agencies do not have a presence on the Internet; only a few are adequately represented. Traditionally, these companies sell their travel packages to foreign firms. This, obviously, drives up the cost. Furthermore, a German or a Japanese company represents Armenia to the tourist, who then blindly buys the package. Wandelion.com serves as a middleman between the tourist and the country. The platform allows travel agencies to advertise their packages and provide detailed information about the costs associated with each package and the destination.

 Zorik Tsaturyan is one of the co-founders of Wandelion.com. He has spent several months with his friends exploring the travel industry in Armenia, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the market, and has decided to revolutionize the industry.  “Armenia has a serious problem of presenting itself to the world. Tourists usually hear about Armenia through untrusted sources. Our mission is to gather all of the leading travel agencies into one place, so that tourists can explore different offers, compare prices, and choose exciting activities ranging from rock climbing to mountain biking.”

 

The platform also has a blog. Blog.wandelion.com is a journal for the tourist. The blog provides information about what the most visited tourist locations are as well as what are the most unique places in the countryside.  Every tourist can submit notes about how he has spent his vacation in Armenia, what places he has visited, and what places he would like to see when he is back again.

 

“One of the benefits of the platform is the online calculator. It will tell the customer how much the trip will cost for one person, two people, or a group, and what routes will be the most cost-efficient. The tourist can also visit Armenia for free if he decides to become a tour leader and leads a group of tourists to our country.”

 

The organizers of the Small Business Grant Contest in the sector of Information Technology sponsored by the Enterprise Incubator Foundation, the Armenian Ministry of Economics along with the World Bank have welcomed the innovative initiative of the young Armenians. They have awarded 11 million drams to the founders of Wandelion which will be used to improve the website and contribute to the growth of tourism in Armenia."

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