LocationsClearing the Way for Growth: How Mine Action Supports Tourism and Local Development in Jermuk
September 16, 2026
Jermuk’s tourism sector is showing clear signs of growth, with increasing visitor numbers contributing to renewed business activity and wider opportunities for local development. Around the city’s Ropeway, this transformation is particularly evident: land once affected by explosive ordnance is now supporting tourism, outdoor activities and local businesses.
Armen Tadevosyan, Director of the Jermuk Ropeway, stands in an area previously affected by explosive ordnance and now returned to safe community use. Today, the area supports tourism, recreation and local economic activity.
For Armen Tadevosyan, Director of the Jermuk Ropeway, one of the clearest signs of this change is the growing number of visitors. In the first six months of 2026 alone, Ropeway welcomed around 16,000 visitors, a significant increase compared with previous years.
“For us, this is a very encouraging sign. More people are coming to the ropeway, spending time in the area and using the nearby cafés and other services. Today, we are no longer thinking about what cannot be done here. We are thinking about what we can do more - activities, services and reasons for people to visit Jermuk. We can now look ahead and think about how this whole area can grow and create new opportunities for the community,” he says.
Following the 2022 military escalation, the situation around the ropeway was very different. Within Jermuk city, 126,795 sq. m of land was identified as contaminated by explosive ordnance, making parts of the area unsafe to use.
Today, all identified contaminated land within Jermuk city has been released with UNDP’s support.
The land release operations were implemented within the framework of “Strengthening National Mine Action Capacities in Armenia” project, funded by the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (EC FPI) and implemented by UNDP in partnership with the Center for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise (CHDE), the national operator responsible for land release operations.
From Land Release to Local Development
With the European Union financial support, UNDP supports the Center for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise CHDE, the national operator responsible for land release operations, in making contaminated land safe for communities, while strengthening the skills, equipment and resources needed to continue mine action across Armenia.
In Jermuk, the results go beyond improved safety. Land that was once affected by explosive ordnance is now part of everyday community life again. The former hazardous area is fully used on a daily basis for tourism, outdoor activities and seasonal gatherings. Around 35 percent of the area released is incorporated into the community development program, including the ski route, ropeway and café-restaurant.
A CHDE deminer uses modern detection equipment during field operations.
A skilled CHDE demining team carries out field operations using professional expertise and modern detection equipment.
This return to use is supporting economic activity around the area and creating opportunities that extend well beyond the land itself.
Elsewhere, released land is also being used for agriculture, grazing and access to infrastructure, showing the different ways mine action can benefit communities. No accidents or safety-related incidents were reported during the use of the released areas.
Galina Grigoryan, a long-time employee of the Jermuk Ashkharh Centre, stands inside the Centre, which continues to welcome residents and visitors following the recovery of the surrounding area.
Looking Ahead with Confidence
For people who have lived and worked in Jermuk for decades, the change can also be felt in the city’s growing activity and the return of visitors.
The Jermuk Ashkharh Centre, which was damaged during the 2022 hostilities, is now operating again and receiving guests.
For Galina Grigoryan, who has worked at the Centre for 43 years, seeing more people return to Jermuk gives her confidence in the city’s future.
“I have worked here for more than four decades, almost since the early years of the Centre, and I have seen Jermuk change over time. Today, what makes me the happiest is seeing visitors coming back and the city becoming lively again. I am very optimistic. I believe Jermuk will continue to grow, more people will come, and new opportunities will open for the people who live and work here,” she says.
For a community where tourism, wellness services and small businesses are important sources of livelihoods, the return of visitors reaches far beyond individual tourism facilities. It brings activity to local businesses and services and creates new possibilities for the people who live and work in the city.
From Land Release to Sustainable Community Development Across Armenia
Despite the progress seen in Jermuk, landmines and explosive ordnance continue to pose a significant threat to Armenia’s border communities, affecting civilian safety, restricting access to land and essential services, and limiting opportunities for socio-economic development.
In 2026, Armenia’s national mine action authorities reported more than 43 million m² of territory contaminated by mines, cluster munitions and explosive remnants of war.
Since 2022, UNDP has been the only UN agency supporting mine action efforts in Armenia, helping mobilize international assistance and strengthen national capacities. UNDP-supported mine action has improved safety and access to land for more than 120,000 people across 30 border communities. More than 10,000 people have also been directly reached through explosive ordnance risk education activities, helping people better understand the risks and protect themselves and their families.
In 2025-2026 alone, UNDP support has enabled the release of more than 550,000 m² of land across Armenia’s border communities.
An aerial view of Jermuk, where land release supports safer access to land and contributes to tourism, local economic activity and community development.
CHDE specialist tests an AR/VR-based demining simulation training tool developed with UNDP support.
In Jermuk, the meaning of that work can be seen beyond the numbers - in people returning, businesses planning for the future and areas once affected by explosive ordnance becoming part of community life again.
For the people of Jermuk, making land safe is not the end of the story. It is what makes the next chapter possible - more visitors, new opportunities and greater confidence in the future. By removing risks that once limited how these areas could be used, mine action is giving communities the opportunity to move forward, grow and build what comes next.
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