Dilijan as summer resort

Yerkir/am
29 July 2004

During the dark and cold years, the people of Dilijan survived by
cutting down their vast woods. For a person on the verge of death the
legality of that action was not important. Mayor Jora Sahabalian says
the forest of Dilijan is now saved and it promotes tourism.

Tourism in Dilijan was also spurred by construction of the
Sevan-Dilijan tunnel and reconstruction of historical monuments. This
year Dilijan expects 6000-7000 tourists who usually prefer to rent
private apartments rather than stay at resorts.

The rooms at the resorts before reconstruction cost 2500-3000 drams
per day. Now that they have been ameliorated the price reaches
13000-5000 drams.

The major problems of Dilijan are absence of sewage pipes and lack of
drinking water. The latter will be solved in the near future. The
present tendency gives hope that all the issues will find their
solutions, since Dilijan is not ignored by the authorities, especially
local ones.