Innovative ideas for tourism development in Armenia will be the focus of a hackathon that will take place on 7-8 April in the city of Vanadzor. Organised in the framework of the “Support to Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Development in Armenia” (SMEDA) project, the event aims to attract innovative solutions and services to boost the tourism industry in the country’s Lori region and the city of Vanadzor, where tourism is a priority sector of the economy.

Applicants with ideas that have a clear implementation plan, with a budget that does not exceed 25,000,000 Armenian Dram (around €42,000) are eligible to apply.

The event organisers will select 20 teams from across Armenia, each consisting of up to four people, to compete in the hackathon. The teams will work to develop their ideas and products during a 24-hour session. A jury consisting of the best professionals in the field will then assess the entries and select the winners.

The jury encourages innovative ideas, in particular addressing technological solutions for raising awareness about tourism in Armenia, improving the search for information and developing innovative tourism solutions.

The deadline for registration for the event is 26 March 2018.

The EU4Business SMEDA project supports the improvement of the business and investment climate for SMEs in Armenia. It aims to strengthen the private sector, support SME coordination mechanisms, and foster links between research institutions and the private sector, as well as providing access to finance for SMEs.