Episode #6. Yerevan: first Christian capital, picturesque architecture, and a home of the Armenian brandy with Gevorg Orbelyan

Tasting Eastern Europe

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the travel market beyond recognition. But don't be scared: it did not vanish, the travel market continues to develop!

In the podcast, we taste Eastern Europe talking to local entrepreneurs, officials, and other experts about how the region's tourism adapts to the demands of time and what it has to offer travel seekers.

Our today's topic is Yerevan: the capital of the first Christian nation, a city with picturesque architecture, and a home of a unique and tasty Armenian brandy. Gevorg Orbelyan - a head of the Tourism division of the Department of Culture and Tourism at Yerevan Municipality - is our guest today.

Here are the timeframes of our talk:

1:29 - A little acquaintance with Gevorg Orbelyan and his experience in the Department of Culture and Tourism at Yerevan Municipality
4:19 - Briefly about tourism in Yerevan during the time of the pandemic
6:17 - About adaptation of the city's tourism to the pandemic
7:48 - Yerevan's changes in mobility, tourism infrastructure, and green tourism
9:49 - Few reasons why tourists should visit Yerevan
11:27 - Reflections about is there a place for tourism in the pandemic world
11:55 - How could Yerevan be interesting from the perspective of the capital of the first country to convert to Christianity, and if the city visitors immerse themselves in the perception of the history of this religion
15:14 - Where tourists could plunge into the history of traditional the "Arbun" drink (an Armenian brandy) and the culture of its drinking
18:08 - Why Yerevan is not on the list of the most popular destination among Europeans and how it could be changed
20:05 - Whether there are low-cost airlines coming to Armenia
21:15 - A favorite location of Gevorg in Yerevan
22:36 - His favorite meal
23:44 - Why does he love Yerevan the most

Let's taste Eastern Europe together!