A NEW FORM OF TOURISM IS INTRODUCED IN ARMENIA. THE SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS OF THE "PRO EXTOUR" PROJECT TOOK PLACE

Head of the YSU International Cooperation Department, head of the Armenian team of the "PRO EXTOUR" project, project coordinator, Ph.D., Professor Alexander Margarov, before presenting the process and final result of the project, spoke about the involvement of Armenia, in particular Yerevan State University, in international projects. According to Alexander Margarov, this cooperation corresponds to the goals of the university, which are included in the university's strategic plan.

"In essence, this project is one of the classic examples of how international involvement contributes to the implementation of the main goals set before the university system. Among them are quality education, research activities, innovations, etc." Pointing out the fact of quality education available at YSU, Margarov said that the YSU service chair presented new courses that include the experience not only of Armenia, but also of the Black Sea basin countries. According to the Head of the YSU International Cooperation Department, the university is ready to share the acquired experience with all those who are interested in the field and have the desire to develop the relevant field in our country.

Dean of the Faculty of Geography and Geology of YSU, Associate Professor Marat Grigoryan emphasized that a huge amount of work has been done during these years. He said that the faculty actively participates in various international programs, and has great experience and a wide range of international cooperation.

The head of YSU Service Chair, Ph.D., associate professor Seyran Suvaryan noted that trying to introduce a new form of tourism in Armenia and spread it massively, they also aimed to infuse it with the leading aspects of scientific, methodological, and international experience.

"During these three years, having studied the necessary preconditions for cultural tourism, we tried to present specific proposals based on them and make these ideas a reality," said S. Suvaryan.

As we reported earlier, "PRO EXTOUR" is a project that aims to promote experiential tourism as a sustainable development path for tourism business in the Black Sea Basin countries, valuing the potential of indigenous heritage and culture, innovative solutions and cross-border cooperation. Three higher education institutions with applied research experience in the field of tourism support the project: Yerevan State University (Armenia), Varna University of Management (Bulgaria) and University of Thessaloniki (Greece). As well as it is a joint initiative of the Georgian Art and Culture Center (Georgia), a cultural network organization and the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Association (Bulgaria),the regional cluster of hospitality.