Lifestyle

Destination Dilijan

by: BTM - Sat, 07 Nov 2026

BTM’s Amna Syed attended the Tourism Regional Forum in Dilijan, where she spoke with Katerina Danekina, CEO of Green Rock Management Group, and Katya Bredikhina, Executive Director of the Green Rock Foundation, about their vision for the town’s future and opportunities to strengthen tourism and investment ties between Armenia and the Gulf.

Katerina Danekina

With Bahraini visits to Armenia more than doubling last year and visa-free entry available, what would you recommend for a first weekend in Dilijan?

You land, and 90 minutes later, you are in a forest. You check in at our co-living space, PPLS Rooms, perhaps work at Villa 3 and have lunch at CEMI, where hospitality students prepare the food.

If the orchestra is in town, I recommend attending a performance of Armenian classical music.Autumn or late spring would be the best time to visit.

Both Green Rock Management Group and the Green Rock Foundation are led by women. How did this leadership structure develop?

We recruited people who could deliver and, in Dilijan, most happened to be women. Today, they make up 70% of our management team.

What is the Tourism Regional Forum, and why host it in a town of 15,000 people?

Because the town itself makes the argument. The Forum explores how to build a lasting destination, and attendees can step outside and see that work taking shape.

At the free economic zones panel, our Strategic Development Advisor, Vazgen Gevorkyan, explained how such zones can retain investment and accelerate development. He is right about the importance of speed. Free economic zones are one instrument, alongside municipal approvals and lender financing. We use all three.

What opportunities does Dilijan offer Gulf investors?

Gulf investors follow the same process as everyone else. Projects go to the town council, the municipality oversees design and lenders co-finance approved developments. Hyatt Regency Dilijan followed this process. The project will have 205 rooms and is expected to create over 400 jobs. We are preparing investment products for Gulf investors. A product is announced only once its agreement is signed.

Who are Green Rock’s cultural initiatives primarily intended to serve?

The town itself. 60 children from Dilijan participate in our ballet programme, with their mothers in the front row. Our September concert was free for residents, and the art park was a World Architecture Festival finalist.

Bahraini travellers currently reach Yerevan through Sharjah, Doha or Dubai. What would it take to establish Bahrain as a stronger source market for Dilijan?

Nothing yet, honestly, and I say that as the person responsible for changing the situation Air routes and visas are matters for the state, although Armenia has flexible visa policies for Bahraini citizens and GCC residents. At Green Rock, we want to give Bahraini residents a compelling reason to visit. We hope they come and experience the beauty of Dilijan for themselves.

Katya Bredikhina

Green Rock Management Company has brought a hotel to Dilijan and is building a music hall, while Green Rock Foundation has established a hospitality school. What do you ask of those involved?

People must understand what the town already has and what it needs, contributing their expertise and financial resources alongside their time. This approach comes from Green Rock founder Mareta Gevorkyan, who placed the community at the heart of development.

How do you develop Dilijan while protecting its national park and musical heritage?

Dilijan National Park covers 33,765 hectares of beech and oak forests. Everything we do should highlight its natural surroundings, not hide them. In 1963, the Composers’ Union opened eight cottages, each with a grand piano. Dmitri Shostakovich completed two string quartets in cottage eight. We still work with the Union. The music hall being built next to Villa 3, with room for up to 650 people, is designed primarily for classical music, particularly chamber performances. We want to preserve that legacy and build on it.

How can a town of 15,000 people gain international recognition?

Through personal connections. Last year, I met 35 members of the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism. Only two had heard of Armenia. We travel abroad to promote Dilijan through gastronomy and music, then invite people to experience it themselves.

We are preparing a bid for World Region of Gastronomy in 2031 and hope to host the World Gastronomy Summit that year. There is still work to do on farm-to-table supply chains and waste management.

How have residents responded?

Curious residents join us, while others wait to see results. We must earn their trust through our work. In December, Winter in Dilijan attracted more than 12,000 visitors across eight weekend days, many from Yerevan.

Everything we do is for the community. We are the community.

How are young people contributing?

Our NextGen grants offer USD 1,500 to young people aged 15 to 24 who identify local problems and propose solutions.

Last year, a teenager built a playground in a neighbourhood that had none. Another worked with the municipality to install QR code signs at heritage sites. Five projects are running this year, funded by individuals who chose to support them.

What is your vision for Dilijan in 10 years?

A place people choose to visit, stay longer, live and work. Healthcare and education remain the government’s responsibility. We support rather than replace those services.

Above all, we want residents involved in the opportunities being created around them. Each initiative should improve their quality of life and economic circumstances while giving them more say in the town’s future. Achieving that is incredibly difficult, but incredibly important.

Amna’s Reflections
Attending the Tourism Regional Forum was a wonderful experience and an opportunity to learn more about Dilijan’s potential as a destination for travellers from Bahrain and the wider Gulf. I hope more people from this region have the chance to visit and experience this beautiful town for themselves.