Ecotourism Association
Information on the purpose of your organization
'ԷԿՈՏՈՒՐԻԶՄԻ ԱՍՈՑԻԱՑԻԱ' ՀԱՍԱՐԱԿԱԿԱՆ ԿԱԶՄԱԿԵՐՊՈՒԹՅՈՒՆ
?Ecotourism Association? Non-governmental organization ( The Armenian Ecotourism Association (ARMECAS)
We are united to promote ecotourism ? the force that will contribute to a better understanding of our natural and cultural heritage and will provide revenue to the local community sufficient for people to value, and, therefore to protect the environment as a source of income.
The Armenian Ecotourism Association is a non-governmental non-profit organization founded in 1998 to provide support and assistance for the revival and restoration of the natural and cultural heritage of Armenia, as well as improving the welfare of the population through the development of ecotourism.
ARMECAS unites the people from different regions of Armenia, who regard ecotourism as a means of sustainable development of the country. Members of our organization are people of different professions; most of them are specialists in natural and cultural heritage and tourism.
Our organization especially deals with promotion, advocacy and policy making, working at the interface of two fields ? environmental protection and tourism.
Main objectives:
? To promote the ideas and principles of natural ecosystem protection and sustainable resource use, with an analysis of modern international experience in environmental protection and ecotourism development.
? To create a strategy for sustainable development of ecotourism and rural/agro-tourism
? To provide centralized information and technical assistance to organizations and individuals involved in ecotourism.
? To involve rural communities in ecotourism activities. Combining eco-tourism activities with income generation for rural population and awareness creation for environmental issues
? To organize public efforts to promote activities concerning environmental protection and preservation of natural, cultural and historical monuments.
? To carry out awareness raising campaigns in partnership with the media with the aim of highlighting environmental protection activities.
? To contribute to the improvement of environmental law and tourism law.
Information on your programmes and activities in areas relevant to the subject of the Summit and in which country or counties they are carried out.
Assessment of Armenian ecotourism potential. Promotion of sustainable tourism principles in rural regions among businessmen, local communities, non-governmental organizations and officials.
Organization emphasizes the identification of cases where nature is irreversibly damaged
as a result of economic activities. The organization strives to find alternative ways and legal mechanisms for the prevention and elimination of existing problems.
As a member of Environmental Public Alliance the organization is in the forefront of SOS
campaigns and works with the publicly important cases of environmental problems. We provide our profound expertise in the field of biodiversity conservation, specially protected natural areas and eco/agro-tourism
Elaboration of the ecotourism policy towards sustainable use of natural resources .Development of the ecotourism parts of the Management Plans for all Specially Protected Natural Areas of Armenia. Organization of the Ecotourism Planning and Management Trainings for tourism staff and/or managers of the protected areas.
Providing the professional expertise in ecotourism and community- based tourism to the projects of different organizations:
WWF Armenia Projects:/ Biodiversity Protection and Community Development: Implementing Ecoregional Conservation Plan Targets in South Armenia (WWF Norway / WWF Armenia); ?Establishment of new Lake Arpi National Park in Armenia?s Javakhq (Ashotsk) Region.? ( WWF Armenia / KfW); UNDP/GEF ?Adaptation to Climate Change Impacts in Mountain Forest Ecosystems of Armenia? Project
«Assistance to Establishment of New National Park ?Arevik? in Southern Armenia» (Conservation International Foundation (CI)/ Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) / WWF Armenia).
Development and publication of the Ecotourism in the Specially Protected Natural Areas: Guide for Planning and Management.
Development of Community-based Tourism Programs in rural areas of Armenia, trainings and development of professional skills in rural tourism.
Project VIVA_EASTPART -Valorization and Improving of management of Small Historic Centers in the Eastern Partnership region ( Romania, Italy, Moldova, Armenia), funded by European Union - Investing in People and Eastern Partnership Culture program. http://vivaeastpart.eu/; http://culturaldilijan.am/
Current Project: CERTOUR -Quality Certification System in Agrotourism (Greece, Bulgaria, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine ) Financed by JOP ?Black Sea Basin 2007-2013? program of the EU http://www.certour.eu/
Information on activities at the national or international levels
Armenian Ecotourism Association implements most of the projects at the national level or in partnership with organizations from different countries.
In its activities organization collaborates with numerous national, foreign, as well as international organizations; is a member of the International Ecotourism Society, Mountain Forum, Global Environment Facility (GEF/NGO network, REC Caucasus (Regional Environmental Center),
We have organized ?Tourism in Mountain Regions ? Influence on Natural and Cultural Diversity? International Workshop in Armenia for the CIS and Eastern European countries.
We have been invited and participated at the many national and international seminars and conferences : ?Environmental Protection for Economic Growth: Best Practices Exchange? BSEC-US joint seminar with the presentation ?Environmental Protection and Ecotourism?; at the European Ecotourism Conferences in Estonia with the presentation ? Situation and Trends in Tourism and Natural Protected Areas?; Shymkent Tourism Forum with the ? International Experience of Sustainable Tourism? presentation; REC Caucasus ?Climate Change Adaptation ? Challenge and Opportunity for the Caucasus? Conference with the ? Climate Change and Tourism? presentation and many others.
Organization is the active member of the EU Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum since 2010 participating in Environment, Climate change and Energy Security working group. Our representatives have been selected to participate in annual meetings of the Forum and act as a multiplier in generating debate and disseminating information on EaP-relevant issues in Armenia
Organization is eager to contribute in Establishing National Certification System for Sustainable Tourism (Eco - Certification) as an instrument that can be used to influence the environmental, social and economic sustainability of tourism.
Our organization has designed the Concept to develop and introduce such a System in partnership with National Tourism Administration and recently has been trying to raise funds for the initial phase of the project, but unfortunately we have not succeeded yet.
Armenia can be a pioneer in this process in the region, as well as can act as an initiator and a Leader to implement this in the regional context..
Armenian Ecotourism Association is the initiator, author and co-producer of "Development of Eco/Agrotourism in the Southern Caucasus" regional project (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia), eatsc.ecotourismarmenia.com
We implemented the VIVA_EASTPART -Valorization and Improving of management of Small Historic Centers in the Eastern Partnership region ( Romania, Italy, Moldova, Armenia), funded by European Union - Investing in People and Eastern Partnership Culture program. http://vivaeastpart.eu/; http://culturaldilijan.am/
Current Project: CERTOUR - Quality Certification System in Agrotourism (Greece, Bulgaria, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine ) Financed by JOP ?Black Sea Basin 2007-2013? program of the EU. http://www.certour.eu/
Organization have an annual report? (YES/NO) (should contain financial statements and a list of financial sources and contributions, including governmental contributions)?
NO -
List of members of the governing body of your organization, and their countries of nationality
The organization has a Board of 5.elected members (including the President and Secretary):
Zhanna Galyan - Armenia
Karen Grigoryan - Armenia
Aram Aghasyan - Armenia
Alexander Malkhasyan - Armenia
Vasil Ananyan ? Armenia
Copy of the constitution and/or by-laws of the organization (WORD or PDF only), or a weblink to it
StatutesArmEngl1.pdf
