Investment Projects, Business Armenia Ski Resort in Vanadzor | Page 9

As the pie chart shows, the biggest ski
destination in the world is the Alps, with
43% of skier visits. The second biggest
destination is America, accounting for
21% of skier visits worldwide.
Asia and Pacific used to have the same
market share as America. However,
continuous decline of the industry in
Japan has not been fully replaced by the
growing ski market in China.
Armenia also has a great potential to
become a popular ski destination, as half
of its landscape is mountainous. The
largest part of the country is at an altitude
of more than 1000 meters above sea
level. Winters are cold, and offer ideal
snow conditions for winter sports. Yet,
the country has only two ski resorts. The
main ski resort is located in Tsakhkadzor
and is equipped with 5 lifts. Tsakhkadzor
is located 55 kilometers away from the
capital, Yerevan. It used to be the training
space of the Soviet Olympic team. The
first lift system was installed in 1972,
turning the city into a ski resort. A ski
teaching center was founded there in
1986, training athletes, including some
who participated in the Olympic Games.
The ski area is located between 1966 and
2819 meters elevation, East of Mount
Teghenis. In 2005, the Government
started a special program to develop
Tsakhkadzor into an international tourist
destination. Since then, the site has
expanded quickly and every year features
new hotels and recreational facilities.
New lifts, built in line with international
standards, were installed between 2004
and 2008. One of them is a three-stage
chairlift. The total hourly capacity of the
lifts is 4400 skiers. The ski area extends to
over 30 square kilometers and includes 10
runs, for a vertical drop of 853 meters.
The season runs from late December to
late March. In 2002, the highway leading
to the resort was reconstructed to meet
international standards and to improve
safety conditions.
The second ski resort is located in
Jermuk, Vayots Dzor Marz, about 175
km away from Yerevan. It is a popular
destination famous for its hot springs.
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