In mountainous Armenia, a new hiking trail will promote tourism, environmental protection and young leadership. The project, which goes by the name Transcaucasian Trail running (TCT), has as a vision to tie the three together South Caucasian the countries of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Development magazine has interviewed ashot Davtyan, project manager for TCT, about the challenges and opportunities the project faces.
In an office in a hip co-working space 33-year-old Ashot Davtyan works in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. He is project manager of the new initiative Transcaucasian Trail, which aims to promote nature and ecotourism in the South Caucasus.
The South Caucasus consists of three countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. It is a mountainous region sandwiched between Europe and Asia. Geographically, it is a small region, but it is rich in both nature and culture. It is the cradle of wine and the core of Christianity. But despite the great potential, the area is not an obvious tourist destination - especially not for countries in the West.
Ashot Davtyan wants to change this. He is part of the Transcaucasian Hiking Association, an organization with the goal of building a 3-kilometer hiking trail through the entire Caucasus. The purpose is to promote nature and ecotourism and expand access to nature experiences for the local community.

According to the United Nations Organization for Tourism, UNWTO, tourism can be a "driving force for economic growth, inclusive development and environmentally friendly sustainability". Also World Bank have shown that tourism is an important part of the world economy and that it can create job opportunities at several levels of society. This is something that Ashot Davtyan touches on when he talks about why he believes it is important for Armenia to become a hiking destination.
- The aim is not only that hikers from other countries should benefit from the trail, but that it should also benefit the local communities - that the trail should become part of the economy, part of life. We are not the owners of the trail, we are only the ones who tie it together.
A development of the tourism and service sector could create new opportunities for economic activity, he believes.
- Several guesthouses have already opened along the trail where there was nothing before. It can also benefit taxi drivers, information centers and tour operators.
The project, which was started in 2015 by Briton Tom Allen, is still in the early stages. Lack of updated maps and existing marked hiking trails forced the team to do the grunt work themselves.
- I lived out in the forest for four months at the beginning, says Ashot Davtyan.
Although part of the work consists of building new paths, the team tries to use as much as possible of the paths that already exist, explains Ashot Davtyan.
- There are already many paths that our ancestors have used to go to church or from village to village. The idea is to connect these together instead of building new ones.
In this way, the project avoids damaging nature, says Ashot Davtyan.

At the same time, there are risks with increased tourism. In December 2021, UNTWO published a report about how mountain tourism can be developed in a sustainable way. The report identifies several risks with increased numbers of tourists in mountain environments, such as water pollution and littering, which disturb ecosystems and animal and plant life. More travelers leather also to increased emissions and overconsumption, which can help drive up costs for local residents.
But Ashot Davtyan is convinced that the project is positive for all parts of society. On the one hand, the number of hikers on the trail is relatively low so far, and on the other hand those who come are generally used to and care about traveling in a sustainable way, he says.
And TCT wants to be more than just a hiking trail. It also offers a way for young people to learn more about environmental stewardship, leadership and community involvement. Among other things, through the program Youth for Change, where young people from different parts of Armenia can participate in camps to learn about outdoor life and nature experiences.
Like all aspects of life in Armenia, TCT is affected by the ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan. The two neighboring countries have been in a protracted conflict since the 1990s and have on two occasions been in full-scale war against each other. The border between the countries is closed, and most countries have issued travel advisories to several regions of Armenia due to the tense security situation.
But Ashot Davtyan wants to show that Armenia is not only about the conflict, but that the country has a lot to offer. He hopes that more people will have the opportunity to discover Armenia's beautiful nature.
- I am proud to showcase Armenia as a hiking destination.