When hiker Lilia Apresyan first set out on a trail in Armenia’s Lori region, she didn’t know who had placed the wooden signs that guided her through meadows and forests. What she did know was that she could finally walk alone, safely and confidently, on a well-marked route.
“Years ago, hiking wasn’t really popular here,” Apresyan said. “Now there are many clubs and groups. I’ve walked a short section of the Armenian National Trail, and it was amazing, clean, marked, and convenient. The feelings that a hiker can experience in Armenia can’t be found anywhere else.”
That same trail is now earning international attention. The Armenian National Trail (ANT) has been named a finalist for Best Wider World Tourism Project at the 2025 British Guild of Travel Writers (BGTW) International Tourism Awards, placing Armenia among the world’s most inspiring destinations. The nomination celebrates a growing movement toward sustainable, community-based tourism and recognizes the work of local guides, villagers, and volunteers who are building the trail from the ground up.
Shortlisted alongside Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum and Iraq’s Zagros Mountain Trail, the ANT stands out as a grassroots initiative coordinated by HIKEArmenia, a nonprofit organization promoting ecotourism.
Launched in May 2023, the ANT was designed as a long-distance, village-to-village route connecting people and places across the country. When complete, it will stretch nearly 1,000 kilometers through more than 100 villages and towns in Lori, Tavush, Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor, and Syunik.
“The concept was to create one unified trail that runs through the entire country,” said Shahane Halajyan, executive director of HIKEArmenia. “We had separate routes before;, The Armenian National Trail brings them together into one continuous experience.”
Launched in May 2023, the ANT was designed as a long-distance, village-to-village route connecting people and places across the country. When complete, it will stretch nearly 1,000 kilometers through more than 100 villages and towns in Lori, Tavush, Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor, and Syunik.
“The concept was to create one unified trail that runs through the entire country,” said Shahane Halajyan, executive director of HIKEArmenia. “We had separate routes before;, The Armenian National Trail brings them together into one continuous experience.”
So far, over 500 kilometers of the route have been improved, with Tavush expected to be fully completed by the end of this year. Next year, construction will begin in Vayots Dzor, and the entire project is planned for completion by 2030.
Halajyan said that HIKEArmenia has involved local residents throughout the process, hiring and training villagers to help build and maintain the trail. “When locals get involved, whether by hosting guests or helping maintain the route, they start to see the benefits and become more attentive to their environment,” she said.
The project also supports community businesses. Guesthouse owners and small food outlets are encouraged to feature regional Armenian dishes, helping preserve culinary traditions while offering authentic experiences to visitors. “We show villagers that change takes time,” Halajyan said. “It’s not something they’ll see tomorrow, but it brings real development.”
The trail’s development is already reflected in tourism trends. According to Halajyan, after a sharp drop in ecotourism in 2023 due to safety concerns, visitor numbers in 2024–2025 exceeded 2019 levels by 86 percent.
The trail’s logo, introduced in late 2023, reflects that diversity: a blue arch resembling an open doorway surrounded by symbols of mountains, forests, water, and the sun, representing Armenia’s hospitality and natural variety.
British travel writer Olly Beckett, who nominated the ANT for the BGTW award, said the project stood out because of its community focus. “I nominated the Armenian National Trail because of how the route opens up more of Armenia to visitors, creates jobs for locals and provides a world-class trail for hikers. It’s clear how much passion those involved with the trail have for the project,” Beckett said.
Even reaching the final stage is seen as a major success, showing that Armenia’s trail-building efforts are being noticed internationally. The nomination follows growing attention to Armenia as a hiking destination. Earlier this year, Lonely Planet Italy featured the ANT in an article titled “L’Armenia a piedi: nella natura, senza folla” (“Armenia on foot: In nature, without the crowds”), describing it as a mosaic of landscapes and cultures stretching from the forests of Lori and Tavush to the vineyards of Vayots Dzor and monasteries of Syunik. The article noted that the Lori segment is already open, with Tavush to follow by 2026, and praised Armenia’s investment in marked trails, eco-lodges, and guesthouses designed for hikers.
Since 2015, HIKEArmenia, supported by the H. Hovnanian Family Foundation, has developed or improved more than 70 trails, launched a free app and website, opened an information center in Yerevan, and trained guides and guesthouse owners. The Armenian National Trail is its most ambitious project, combining a decade of experience into one connected route that reflects its mission of environmental stewardship and rural development.
For hikers like Apresyan, the progress is already visible. “I used to dream of hiking with real groups and trails,” she said. “Now, everything is easier, even hiking alone. Armenia finally feels open for everyone who wants to explore it.”