Historical and Cultural Heritage of Shirak Region of the RA as a Stimulus for Tourism Development and Analysis of Tourism Development Opportunities in the Region

Abstract

Shirak is one of the ten regions of the RA and is located in the northwest of the Republic. The region has rich historical and cultural heritage, a number of interesting museums, delicious national cuisine, favorable conditions for the development of ecological, winter and urban tourism. Historical, descriptive, statistical and SWOT analysis methods were used for the comprehensive analysis of tourism problems in the region. The article examines the main tourism resources of the region: historical, cultural, religious, ecological, gastronomic, winter, urban, etc. The main socio-economic indicators of the region, tourism infrastructure and the current state of tourism in the region were also presented. Some recommendations were processed: development of new tourist routes, inclusion of already popular or little-known monuments in tourist routes, improvement of marketing activities, organization of new festivals, etc.