'Travel Oscar' Goes to Armenia: 'Wings of Tatev' Earns Top Spot for Third Time, Celebrating Ruben Vardanyan's Vision and Legacy

The "Wings of Tatev" cable car has been named the World’s Best Cable Car at the prestigious World Travel Awards 2024 for the third time. This year, the Armenian cable car outperformed competitors from Bolivia, Brazil, Vietnam, Canada, New Zealand, the USA, and South Africa. Previously, "Wings of Tatev" brought Armenia victory in this category in 2023 and 2021.

The announcement of the award came on November 24 during the official ceremony in Madeira, Portugal. The World Travel Awards is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the travel and tourism industry, recognizing excellence in travel, tourism, and hospitality since 1993. Often referred to as the “Travel Oscar”, the award highlights the industry’s best projects for their pursuit of excellence, high service standards, and innovation.

“Receiving this prestigious award for the third time proves that Armenia boasts a unique world-class tourism infrastructure. On the one hand, it contributes to the development of the southern region; on the other, it showcases Armenia’s immense spiritual and cultural heritage to visitors from around the world.

For the second consecutive year, my father has been unable to personally accept this award or continue his philanthropic and humanitarian projects, as he is unlawfully detained in a Baku prison on fabricated charges. I am proud that his projects make Armenia known globally. I am confident he will realize many more groundbreaking projects in the future,” said David Vardanyan, the eldest son of Ruben Vardanyan.

Mariia Butenko, Director of the "Wings of Tatev" cable car, emphasized the significance of this recognition for Armenia’s tourism development. “Winning the World Travel Awards again proves that this project, initiated by Ruben Vardanyan, was not only well-conceived but continues to fully serve its purpose. It adds significant value to Armenia’s tourism appeal. Our primary goal is to introduce guests to Armenia, especially its stunning southern region, and provide them with truly unforgettable experiences. We hope this victory will attract many new visitors, revealing Tatev’s cultural and natural treasures to them,” she noted.

The "Wings of Tatev" was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest reversible passenger cable car in the world (5752 meters). Another notable achievement is the shortest construction period for such a large-scale engineering structure (10 months).

This year, the cable car marked its 14th anniversary, having welcomed more than 1,300,000 passengers since its opening. It has played a crucial role in developing tourism in Armenia, with one in five tourists visiting Tatev.

The "Wings of Tatev" project has also had a positive impact on cultural and social improvements in Armenia’s southern region. It is part of the "Tatev Gateway" complex, a non-profit project, all profits from which are directed to the restoration of Tatev Monastery and the development of the local community. Thanks to the cable car, many visitors discovered Syunik and its historical heritage, while Tatev Monastery became more accessible. The project has created new jobs for locals, spurred economic growth, and encouraged infrastructure development and the establishment of small tourism businesses.