Dilijan, Armenia — 5th October 2026 — This October, the Armenian town of Dilijan will become a meeting point for the international tourism community as Green Rock brings together tourism, hospitality and destination development leaders for TRF 2026, a three-day forum exploring how destinations can create lasting value for visitors, communities and investors.
Taking place from October 9 to 11 under the theme “Destinations Built to Last,” the Tourism Regional Forum will look at how destinations are shaped, financed and experienced — and how places can evolve while preserving the character that makes them distinctive.
A Destination on the Rise
The forum comes at a time when Armenia’s tourism sector is continuing to expand. The country welcomed more than 2.26 million international tourists in 2025, recording 2.5% growth compared with the previous year.
Dilijan is becoming an increasingly important part of that picture. The city welcomed approximately 243,800 visitors in 2025, up 5.7% year-on-year. Around 36.5% — approximately 89,000 visitors — were from abroad, highlighting the city’s growing international appeal.
More significantly, Dilijan is gradually moving beyond the traditional model of a short stop or weekend escape. Increasingly, visitors are choosing to spend several days in the city and experience it as a destination in its own right — a shift that creates new opportunities for hospitality, culture, food, wellness and business.
For Katerina Danekina, CEO of Green Rock Management Group, the opportunity lies in building on what already makes Dilijan distinctive rather than replacing it.
“Dilijan has something that cannot be created through investment alone — a strong sense of identity. Nature, history, culture and a unique atmosphere come together here. The opportunity is to build on that identity and create a place where people want to stay longer, return and experience Armenia more deeply.”
Building an Ecosystem, Not Just a hotel
That philosophy is reflected in Green Rock’s approach to the city. Its development strategy brings together the upcoming Hyatt Regency Dilijan, the first Hyatt Regency hotel in Armenia, with the Villa3 Community Hub, PPLS Rooms, Cabinet Café & Restaurant, future Music Hall & Art Park as part of a wider multifunctional complex.
The ecosystem is complemented by Apicius International School of Hospitality, which is helping develop the local talent needed for Dilijan’s growing hospitality sector.
The aim is not simply to increase the number of hotel rooms or individual attractions, but to create the conditions for a more complete, year-round destination — one where hospitality, education, culture, business, events and community life support one another.
This approach reflects a broader shift in destination development: the most compelling places are increasingly those that offer visitors more than a single attraction, while also creating opportunities for the people who live and work there.
Bringing the Global Conversation to Dilijan
TRF 2026 is an extension of that thinking. By bringing international tourism and destination-development professionals to Dilijan, Green Rock is creating a platform for the city to engage directly with the wider global tourism community. The forum will bring together perspectives from Switzerland, Malta, France and Germany, alongside representatives of Armenia’s government, financial sector, hospitality and development community.
The main forum on October 10 will open with Danekina’s keynote, “The City as a Living Economy.” The programme will explore four key themes: Free Economic Zones – Challenges and Opportunities; Cultural Infrastructure as a Destination Driver; Longevity as a Destination Opportunity; and the Role of Financial Institutions in Creating New Destinations.
For Dilijan, the significance of the forum extends beyond the three-day programme. International gatherings bring new professionals, ideas and networks into the city and create opportunities for people who influence tourism, investment and destination development to experience Dilijan first-hand.
Where Nature Meets History, Culture and Cuisine
Yet Dilijan’s appeal is not created by new infrastructure alone. Its strongest asset is the combination of experiences that already exist here.
Surrounded by forests and located within reach of Dilijan National Park and Lake Parz, the city offers an immediate connection to nature. At the same time, historic monasteries including Haghartsin, Goshavank, Jukhtakvank and Matosavank reflect centuries of Armenian religious, architectural and intellectual heritage.
In the town itself, Sharambeyan Street, traditional architecture, the Dilijan Local Lore Museum and Art Gallery and the Museum of Folk Art offer visitors a closer look at the cultural character of the region. Armenian cuisine adds another dimension, allowing visitors to experience local traditions through food as well as architecture, art and history.
Whether the interest is hiking and nature, medieval heritage, Armenian cuisine, art and culture, wellness, hospitality or simply a slower pace of life, Dilijan offers different ways to experience the destination.
That diversity is increasingly important in a tourism market where travellers are looking for places that offer more than a checklist of attractions. Dilijan’s strength lies in the fact that its experiences are interconnected — nature leads into culture, culture into cuisine, and a short visit can become a longer stay.
As Vazgen Gevorkyan, Strategic Development Advisor at Green Rock, explains:
“Destination development should be guided by sustainability, longevity and prosperity. Dilijan has put these principles into practice from the outset. The hospitality school opened its doors before the hotel was built, helping the town prepare its own workforce before the demand for hotel rooms arrived. The town also developed its vision for the years ahead with its residents, before the first tour bus arrived.”
A New Chapter for Dilijan
For the wider Gulf and MENA tourism community, TRF 2026 offers an opportunity to discover a destination in the South Caucasus where established cultural heritage is meeting new hospitality infrastructure and a growing international profile.
Located in northeastern Armenia between Yerevan and Tbilisi, Dilijan offers a different way to experience the country — through nature, culture, longer stays, local cuisine, wellness and year-round experiences.
This October, the international tourism conversation will come to Dilijan. And for a city whose appeal has always been rooted in its character, the opportunity is not simply to attract more visitors, but to give them more reasons to stay, return and discover the place more deeply.
TRF 2026 will take place in Dilijan from October 9 to 11, with the main forum on October 10. The forum is organized by Green Rock.
