September 2019 Monthly Tourism Update

During the first three quarters of 2019, compared to the same period of the previous year, the monthly hotel prices in Georgia saw an overall decrease of 0.3%.

The main contributor to this decrease were the 3*, 4* and 5* hotels. During the Qs I-III 2019, compared to Qs I-III 2018, 3*, 4* and 5* hotel prices declined on average by 1.9%, while in the same period, the average increase of guesthouse prices amounted to 4.9%.

During the first three quarters of 2019, compared to the corresponding period of 2018, on average the hotel prices in Tbilisi decreased by 7.8%. Among them, the prices of 3*, 4* and 5* hotels decreased on average by 11.1%, while the prices of guesthouses increased on average by 4.8%.

During the first three quarters of 2019, compared to the same period of 2018, the number of tourists in Georgia was up, the on average monthly growth rate of the number of tourists amounting to 6.6%. The highest increase was recorded in May 2019, compared to May 2018 - 18%. During Qs I-III 2019, May 2019 was the period when the prices of guesthouses increased the most - by 18%, compared to May 2018.

Therefore, with the rise of tourist numbers, the prices of 3*, 4* and 5* hotels decreased, while prices of guesthouses increased. This can partially be explained by the growth in the number of hotels: the number of registered 3*, 4*, 5* hotels on booking.com website is 60% higher compared to what it was at the beginning of 2018, while during this period, the number of guesthouses only increased by 3.1%.

Hotel Price Index

In September 2019, in Georgia, the hotel price index¹ decreased by 3.5% compared to August 2019. The 3-star, 4-star and 5-star hotel price index decreased by 3.8%, while for guesthouses, the price index decreased by 4.4%.

In September 2019, compared to September 2018, hotel prices in Georgia increased by 0.5%. The prices of 3*, 4*, 5* hotels decreased by 1.6%, while the prices of guesthouses increased by 4.9%.

Average Hotel Prices

In Georgia, the average cost of a room² in a 3-star hotel was 145 GEL per night in September 2019. While the average cost of a room in a 4-star hotel in Georgia was 227 GEL per night and the average cost of a room in a guesthouse³ was 73 GEL per night.

The average cost of a room in a 5-star hotel in Georgia in September 2019 was 477 GEL per night. In Tbilisi, the average price was 598 GEL, followed by Ajara (440 GEL), Kakheti (390 GEL) and Samstkhe-Javakheti (380 GEL).