ԶԲՈՍԱՇՐՋՈՒԹՅԱՆ ԶԱՐԳԱՑՄԱՆ ՀՆԱՐԱՎՈՐՈՒԹՅՈՒՆՆԵՐԸ ՀՀ ԼՈՌՈՒ ՄԱՐԶՈՒՄ / TOURISM DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN LORI REGION OF THE RA

Lori is one of the ten regions of the Republic of Armenia, located in the northern part of the country. Like other settlements in Armenia, the settlements of the Lori region have been inhabited by Armenians since the period of the Kingdom of Van until the fall of the Arshakuni dynasty. As a result, they were often associated with historical places or figures and had Armenian names. The region has a rich historical and cultural heritage, delicious national cuisine, and favorable conditions for the development of various types of tourism, including ecotourism, resort tourism, festival tourism, adventure tourism, rural tourism, and urban tourism. To examine the tourism challenges in the region, the study employed historical-descriptive methods, analysis and synthesis, statistical approaches, and SWOT analysis. The article studies the primary tourism resources of the Lori region, analyzes its key socio-economic indicators and tourism infrastructure, assesses the current state of tourism, identifies the main challenges to tourism development, and offers recommendations for their resolution. These recommendations include developing new tourist routes, enhancing marketing activities, organizing new festivals, improving service quality, and diversifying tourism products. The findings of the study may be valuable for state and local government bodies, companies operating in the tourism sector, and experts in the field.