Mitarbi Ski Resort & Borjomi-Bakuriani Railroad Open

Mitarbi Ski Resort was officially opened on Sunday, at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Kvirikashvili and other government officials.

The resort is regarded, correctly or not, as an unprecedented model of public-private partnership, a joint USD 150 million investment that saw roads and ski lifts paid for by the state, and hotels, entertainment centers, shops, and parking built by private company GRDC. The two new ski lifts were built by the Black Sea Group and manufactured by Doppelmayr, one of the leaders in the industry.

Construction of a new biathlon track, an ice hockey arena, and a ski jump is planned for 2017, creating a complex ready to host international tournaments. The government has allocated 48 million GEL to finance the Kokhta-Mitarbi ski lift development project, and a private investor is to invest an additional 70 million GEL.

“Mitarbi’s renewed infrastructure is to generate additional employment opportunities for locals,” said Mr. Kvirikashvili. “It will sustain local residents for a radius of 100 kilometers. We are facing some hard times today, but we should make sure we take every step to make life better in the country. We take all the problems facing our citizens to heart. We must move on, however, to make life better in the country for future generations."

He went on to note the potential of the newly opened ski resort to be fully functioning year-round, for use by national teams and tourists alike. “The resort is surrounded by gorgeous landscapes, and I believe that these investments will make the unified Borjomi-Bakuriani and Kokhta-Mitarbi site one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the world,” he said.

In addition to Mitarbi, the renovated Borjomi- Bakuriani railway line has been re-launched and is ready to take tourists from Borjomi to Bakuriani and back. Its wagons each seat 32 and round trips are available twice a day. Known as “Kukushka” (Cuckoo), the first train was launched in 1902.

Nino Gugunishvili