On October 21, EcoLur Informational NGO, in cooperation with the Fridtjof Nansen Institute and with the support of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), organized a side event entitled “Communities as Guardians and Sustainable Users of Biodiversity” in the CBD COP17 Green Zone. The representatives of seven Armenian communities presented their experiences in biodiversity conservation, the challenges they face, and their recommendations.
Albert Haroyan, Coordinator of Dilijan Aarhus Centre and President of “Ecopolis” NGO, addressed the opportunities and challenges of developing ecotourism in Dilijan Community and how tourism can be aligned with nature conservation.
Need to Align Tourism Development with Nature Conservation
“Dilijan is not simply a tourist town. It is one of Armenia’s important natural and cultural areas, with forest ecosystems, water resources, diverse landscapes, rich biodiversity, and a direct connection to Dilijan National Park,” Albert Haroyan emphasized in his speech.
Under these circumstances, he said, ecotourism can become not only a means of developing tourism but also a tool for financing biodiversity conservation and promoting community development.
However, this requires a change in the approach to tourism development.
Challenges: When Tourism Growth Increases Pressure on Nature
Albert Haroyan pointed to the potential consequences of uncontrolled tourism growth.
“If tourism growth simply means more visitors, more roads, larger infrastructure, and greater pressure on natural areas, then it is no longer ecotourism,” he noted.
In the speaker’s view, Dilijan should not simply seek to increase the number of tourists. Instead, it needs to develop higher-value, nature-responsible tourism that generates greater economic benefits for local communities.
“The question for Dilijan is not how to bring in more tourists, but how to turn tourism into a tool for biodiversity conservation, community income generation, and financing nature restoration,” Albert Haroyan emphasized.
Three Priorities for Tourism Development
The approach proposed by Albert Haroyan is based on three priorities: nature and biodiversity conservation and restoration; climate resilience and nature-based solutions; and the economic and social participation of local communities.
He stressed that Dilijan needs an action plan for developing ecotourism based on biodiversity. Under this plan, tourism routes, infrastructure, and investments should be linked to nature conservation priorities.
The second priority is the implementation of nature-based solutions. Examples presented by the speaker included natural methods of trail drainage and erosion management, restoration of small water systems and springs, creation of green corridors, natural rainwater management systems, and the use of native plant species.
He also highlighted the importance of forest fire prevention and climate resilience measures.
“Such infrastructure serves tourists, the community, and biodiversity at the same time,” Haroyan noted.
The third priority involves changing the role of the community. According to the speaker, local residents should not merely work as tourism service providers; they should become owners and beneficiaries of the ecotourism value chain.
This can be achieved through the development of rural guesthouses, local food services, eco-guiding, nature observation, handicrafts, agritourism, and other nature-based services.
Green Investments: New Opportunities to Finance Nature Conservation
Albert Haroyan proposed establishing a green investment portfolio for Dilijan, with separate projects covering trail and visitor management systems, nature-based infrastructure, the restoration of water and forest ecosystems, community-based ecotourism businesses, waste management, and digital environmental monitoring.
He noted that implementing these projects would require combining different sources of financing, including grants, concessional financing from development banks, community and state co-financing, private investment, ESG (environmental, social, and governance) financing, and blended finance mechanisms.
The speaker linked this approach to Target 19 of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which calls for a substantial increase in biodiversity conservation financing by 2030 through the mobilization of public, international, and private financial resources.
Albert Haroyan also emphasized that Armenia’s national biodiversity targets and action plan for 2026–2030 provide a foundation for implementing such initiatives. A Dilijan ecotourism program could contribute to ecosystem restoration, more effective management of protected areas, conservation of aquatic ecosystems, strengthening the climate resilience of forests, and expanding community participation.
Dilijan as Model for Armenia
In Albert Haroyan’s view, Dilijan could become not only an example of a local tourism initiative but also a model for Armenia, demonstrating how biodiversity conservation, nature-based solutions, climate resilience, community development, and green investment can be integrated within one area.
In his speech, he called on international partners to support nature conservation and ecotourism development programs in Dilijan through funding, technical assistance, knowledge transfer, capacity building, and long-term investment partnerships.
The vision presented by Albert Haroyan is based on the idea that properly planned ecotourism can simultaneously protect biodiversity, generate income for communities, and direct investment toward nature restoration.
“Let us show in Dilijan that nature can be not a constraint on development, but development capital,” the speaker concluded.
October 30, 2026 at 22:49