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11 public beaches on Lake Sevan in Armenia’s Gegharkunik province begin opening for this year’s swimming season from today, on July 1. The official opening was launched with a festive program, welcoming Armenian and foreign visitors to one of the most beautiful tourist attractions of the country. 

Three out of 11 public beaches are service providers, while the rest serve for short-term vacations. The beaches have free medical points, outdoor sports facility and playground for children with the only cost for the visitors to pay for the food.

The opening of the swimming season by public beaches was reviewed by Minister of Nature Protection Artsvik Minasyan, who congratulated on the occasion and wished active holidays to the tourists, noting the logic beyond developing public beaches to provide all people with free access to natural goods. 

The representative of the French Embassy to Armenia Frederik Reinbold, present at the opening, pointed to not only the regional but also the global value of Lake Sevan as one of the largest freshwater high-altitude lakes in Eurasia. He noted the conservation of the lake ecosystem should be in the center of everyone’s attention.

Governor of Gegharkunik Province, in turn, noted that expansion of the public beaches is among the agenda items, since studies indicate that Sevan public beaches accommodated increased numbers of visitors last year.

With that regard, officials toured various localities around the lake and got familiarized with the conditions of the planned beach area. A memorandum was signed with an NGO to implement underwater inspection in the area as well as launch cleanup process of the shore.

Sevan National Park, that acts as a research center monitoring the ecosystems and undertaking various conservation measures in Lake Sevan and the surrounding areas, has received 9,100 ha from the government of Armenia. The beach that will be opened next years will cost 100 mln. AMD in the first phase. The nature protection minister told reporters the necessary capital could be obtained through public-private partnership.