Welcome to Georgia! National Tourism Awards 2017- Tourism Conference
On June 14, the Second Tourism and Hospitality Conference, within the Welcome to Georgia! National Tourism Awards 2017, was held at the exhibition center Expo Georgia.
The Conference was co-organized with the Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA) and was supported by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia and Tbilisi City Hall.
The event was opened with a press conference where the organizer and government representatives, Maryna Chayka, Co-Founder/CEO of Welcome to Georgia! National Tourism Awards; George Chogovadze - Head of the GNTA; Irakli Lekvinadze, Deputy Mayor of Tbilisi; Ivane Zhuzhunashvili, Partner at BDO Georgia; and Giorgi Arveladze, Deputy Director of Small and Medium Business Department at the Bank of Georgia spoke about the importance of the Awards project within the field and also the development of the tourism industry in Georgia.
The latest data of January-May 2017 illustrates that the number of international travelers equaled to 2,329.677 persons, 9.7% more than in the same period of 2016. Following the increase in demand, relevant sectors are also developing in Georgia. More specifically, over 170 new hotels opened during the past two years (an additional 3,223 beds). In 2017-2019, over 160 new tourist facilities are scheduled to be opened with more than 18,000 beds.
After the Conference, participants had an opportunity to listen to presentations of the best service providers within the tourism and hospitality sector and find out the latest news within the industry.
From June 14 through September 20, any Tourism and Hospitality Industry player from any region of Georgia can register on the Awards official website (www.awardstourism.com), choosing a maximum of two categories that best reflect their business.
The Welcome to Georgia! National Tourism Awards project has been held since 2015, with the main mission of the project being to encourage the tourism and hospitality industry in Georgia and promote awareness of the high-achieving tourism business and brands that create a positive image of the country worldwide.