YEREVAN, JULY 9, NOYAN TAPAN. Ruben Vardanian, a well-known Russian Armenian businessman, the founder of the Troika Dialogue Group company and the Chairman of its Board of Directors, is going to build a children's health resort in Dilijan. Armen Ghularian, the Governor of Tavush, said this on July 6, within the framework of presentation of Ijevan's Rubbish Disposal Management Project at Ijevan's Business and Tourism Information Center. He said that the restoration of one of region's health resorts has been completed this year, the repair of another one will finish by the end of the year, and the restoration of another two is underway. In A. Ghularian's words, small hotels' construction is rapidly developing in the region, private houses are adjusted for tourists, which has contributed to family tourism development especially in Ijevan. Varuzhan Nersisian, the Mayor of Ijevan, said that currently Ijevan can receive 400 tourist families at once. It was mentioned that every year, 50 families from the French city of Valence have a rest in Ijevan in summer, tourists arrive there also from the U.S., Italy, and other European countries. Two hotels with 20 rooms each are also being built in the town at present. A. Ghularian reminded that tourism development in the region, along with agriculture, social, small and medium-sized business, is one of the most important components of the Tavush development program that started in 2005. In his words, 154m drams has been allocated by the RA state budget in 2005 within the framework of the program, 190m drams in 2006, and 210m drams (nearly 585 thousand USD) will be allocated this year. In total, funds of 20m drams, including resources of international donor organizations and investors, have been invested in the past seven years in the region.

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