Destination Management Organization GoToDili, with the support of the Tourism Committee of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia, with the participation of AR-trails, launched a new inclusive project “Accessible Dilijan”. It is created for people with hearing impairments, as well as for completely deaf/deaf-mute people.
“Accessible Dilijan” is an AR–tours around the city recorded by sign language interpreters in Armenian, Russian and English. This is the first project in Armenia that helps people with hearing disabilities to complete an excursion or a small hiking route without assistance.
You can use the tour by downloading the AR-Trails app. Three products are available in AR-trails: a city tour, a walking tour of the National Park, and a virtual visit to the tourist information center. After selecting a location, the app provides a route, and virtual sign language interpreters tell users about it.
The city tour will introduce users to the history of Dilijan and its famous landmarks. The hiking tour will lead to a hidden waterfall in the National Park, introducing the flora and fauna along the way. The AR-Trails app also allows you to visit a virtual information center, where the overview information about Dilijan is available. In total, virtual tours cover 15 locations in Dilijan.
“Travel must be accessible to everyone,” emphasized Sisian Poghosyan, the Head of Armenia’s Tourism Committee.
“Every visitor to Armenia, regardless of physical abilities, should have the opportunity to travel in our country, discover hidden paths, and equally experience all the interesting and unforgettable experiences. In this context, the Tourism Committee welcomes the creation of the ‘Accessible Dilijan’ tourist product, which is a new opportunity for individuals to discover the wonders of Armenian tourism.”
“Inclusive tourism plays an extremely important role for Armenia,” said Ani Avanesova, head of DMO GoToDili. “Products designed specifically for people with disabilities will not only significantly improve their standard of living and provide new conditions for exploring the tourist locations of the country, but also favorably promote socialization and bring benefits to the country as a whole, making it more attractive to tourists. The GoToDili team is happy to be one of the pioneers on this important path.
We sincerely believe that the day will come when Armenia will become as accessible as possible for everyone who wants to get to know it,” Ani shared.
Links to download the application: App Store, Google Play.
GoToDili is a destination management organization (DMO) aimed at developing Dilijan as a tourist destination. Since 2022, GoToDili has been introducing guests to Dilijan through its products (city tour, hiking, neighborhood tours, off-road tours, etc.). The project is being implemented with the support of Impulse Management Company within “Dilijan Development Program” launched by Ruben Vardanyan and Veronika Zonabend in 2012.
