Tbilisi to Join Travel Massive Community

Daria Kholodilina, a Tbilisi-based Ukrainian blogger and author of the project A Love Letter to Tbilisi, began a new initiative to promote the country, connecting Georgia to Travel Massive, the world’s largest free and open community and a major platform for travel insiders and professionals in the tourism industry.

The discussion ‘Thematic Tours against Triviality’ held at the Impact Hub Tbilisi on Tuesday found local expats, journalists, travelers, and photographers exploring and sharing their experience of exploring Georgia authentically and avoiding trivial sightseeing. Daria, organizer of the event, says that the aim, to bring together Georgian and expat travel insiders, was achieved. To Daria, it’s important to put Georgia on the Travel Massive map and increase the country’s exposure through the community of travel and tourism professionals. “Travel Massive is a platform with a mission to discover and ultimately connect travelers in every city and every country around the world,” she says.

Paul Rimple, journalist, founder of Culinary Backstreets Tbilisi; Maurice Wolf, photographer, founder of “Brutal Tours;” Tatiana Remneva, writer, founder of Miracle Tbilisi; and Anna Koriphadze, a tour guide, spoke to guests at the event.

Travel Massive was born in 2010 in Australia and then spread worldwide. According to the franchise, meetings in Tbilisi should be held at least once every 1.5 months, but active as she is, Daria wants to do them more often- every month.

“If Georgians can find partners, bloggers, photographers, and travel agents; if they can network and promote their businesses on Travel Massive, I will be happy,” she says.

In March, Daria is planning an event on start-ups and innovations in the tourism sector, and in April there will be a meeting on voluntary tourism.

Daria herself rented out space at the Impact Hub to organize the meeting on Tuesday. She got support from Spy Recipe and Marani Sanavardo.

“I love young initiatives and it’s just great that we help each other,” she said.

Nino Gugunishvili