Georgia Expects Huge Benefits from Tourism This Year

Head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA), Giorgi Chogovadze, has announced they expect a record income from tourism this year. “Georgia will receive more than USD 2 billion in 2016,” he says. It is the highest profit Georgia has ever received from the sector.

“I can say that tourism has never been such a priority as it has this year,” Chogovadze said. “Georgia has had more than 6 million visitors!”

He went on to explain that the strategy of tourism development for the next 10 years was implemented in 2015 and envisaged Georgia entering new- previously inactive - markets.

“We saw a huge increase in visitors from the Arab GCC (Gulf Countries), which were not on the list of tourist visitors to Georgia before. This region is now very well connected with Georgia in terms of air traffic," said Chogovadze.

The GNTA Head says positive steps have been made towards enticing visitors from the United States and Europe, too. He hopes that when Georgia gets visa-liberalization with the European Union (EU), it will become even better known as a possible holiday destination for EU residents.

“We recently became a member of the biggest Association of Travel Agencies of the United States,” said Chogovadze, adding that more that 22 million GEL ($ 9.132041) has already been spent on advertising Georgia abroad.

“The markets which we chose for advertising Georgia had to meet number of criteria which included direct air connectivity and the existence of a certain level of prior awareness about our country on the market," Chogovadze said.

In 2015, the GNTA invited more than 400 international journalists and representatives of tour companies to Georgia in order to promote tourism. The GNTA is also actively involved in international tourism exhibitions.

“We also plan to open rest areas along all major roads throughout the country,” the GNTA Head announced. “The rest areas, which will be spaced around 40 minutes apart on motorways, will include toilets and other necessary infrastructure to allow drivers and passengers to rest, eat, or refuel.”

The government is willing to give land from the State, with specific conditions, to any business person or company ready to arrange such infrastructure.

Thea Morrison