Visitors are being encouraged to look beyond the capital Yerevan and to explore its rural and mountainous areas.

“We have a new tagline, ‘Armenia: The Hidden Track,’” Sisian Bighossian, head of Armenia’s Tourism Committee, tells Euronews Travel.

“We have many hidden gems. We have amazing scenery, we have great pristine landscapes for hiking, nature and adventure tourism. But we want to make sure we’ll be able to preserve those as well. If we have overtourism, that’s something that’s going to potentially jeopardies that,” she notes.

Part of Armenia’s ‘hidden track’ approach is enticing visitors to stay in one of its many remote villages, sampling the hospitality of locals.

Going off the ‘hidden track’ in Armenia is about discovering more of the country’s rich religious and spiritual heritage too.

Armenia is one of the earliest Christian civilisations, with its first churches said to have been founded in the fourth century.

“We have thousands of churches and monasteries across Armenia. A lot of them are out in the regions as well, which encourages people to leave the capital city,” says Bighossian.

One of the country’s most important and unique religious sites is the fascinating Geghard Monastery, which has UNESCO World Heritage status.

Located in the Upper Azat Valley, in Kotayk Province, it is partially surrounded by cliffs and partially carved out of the adjacent mountain. It contains several churches and tombs, dating back from the fourth to 13th century.

Euronews reminds that there are direct flights to Armenia from a handful of European countries, including France, Germany and Poland.