Ajara Visited by an Unprecedented Number of Visitors in 2018

Translated

Ajara was visited by an unprecedented number of travelers in 2018. The total amount of international tourists reached 1,931.179 last year, which exceeds the figure of 2017 by 14.7%.

The indicator for the growth in the number of international visitors shows Batumi International Airport as leader, where international travel increased by 23.7% in 2018 year-on-year.

The positive dynamics of international tourist flow escalation were maintained from traditional markets as well as from new target countries of the European Union, where the Department of Tourism and Resorts of Ajara has been running advertising campaigns since 2017.

• Estonia +88.2%

• Germany +79.2%

• Great Britain +33.9%

• Lithuania +33.2%

• Poland +11.5%

“Two million visitors represents an unprecedented number,” said the Chairman of the Department of Tourism and Resorts of Ajara, Sulkhan Glonti. “This is the first time we have seen such a figure. It comprises the data of three administrative zones of Ajara (Sarpi, Batumi International Airport, and Batumi Port). 86.74% of tourists were represented by travelers from our target counties, which is vital for us as we have put a lot of effort into achieving the given result and have actively worked for the promotion of our region and country through international media platforms, press-info tours, participation in international exhibitions, online advertising, and other marketing activities. BBC, Euronews, CNN, and Deutsche Welle are the television companies through which promotion videos about Ajara were discovered by millions of spectators worldwide,” he said, going on to note that the high level of popularity of the region is also emphasized by the fact that Airbnb has named Batumi among the top 19 trending cities of 2019. Airbnb is a platform with more than 500 million consumers and is a valuable recommendation source for visitors.

“Analysis of the time period of visits gives us the opportunity to state that Ajara is no longer just a summer destination: it is becoming attractive year-round, which is our paramount aim,” Glonti said.

By Ketevan Kvaratskheliya