Tourism in Georgia (country) explained

Tourism in Georgia is an increasingly important component of the country's economy. In 2015 it employed around 158,500 people, producing 6.7 percent of Georgia's GDP and providing US$1.94 billion of revenue.[1] In 2019, the number of international arrivals reached a record high of 9.3 million people[2] with foreign exchange income in the year's first three quarters amounting to over US$3 billion. The country plans to host 11 million visitors by 2025 with annual revenues reaching US$6.6 billion.[3]

The expenditures of foreign visitors to Georgia have a significant effect on the balance of payments, and approximately 35.9 percent of Georgia’s goods and service export revenue comes from tourism.[4] International tourists stay an average of 6.5 days.[5]

The official body tasked with promoting tourism to Georgia is the Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA). In 2016, the GNTA participated in 21 international and domestic tourism fairs, conducted marketing campaigns on 16 target markets, and hosted 99 press and familiarization trips.[5]

Accommodation

As of August 2017, there were a total of 1,945 accommodation units registered in the GNTA database, with a total of 65,656 beds. The regions with the most beds were Tbilisi - 17,796 (27.1 percent) and Adjara - 12,126 (18.5 percent).[6] The most prevalent form of accommodation is hotels (41,123 beds), followed by Family Hotels (11,374 beds). In 2017, 60 new hotels with a combined bed number of 3,894 were opened. From 2017 to 2019, 194 hotels are planned to open, with a total bed number of 21,216.[6]

Hotel chains with operations in Georgia include:Marriott Hotels & Resorts, [7] Le Méridien, Courtyard by Marriott,[8] Mercure,[9] Millennium Hotel,[10] Hilton Hotels & Resorts,[11] Holiday Inn,[12] Sheraton Hotels and Resorts,[13] and Radisson Hotels.[14]

Batumi features several casinos that attract tourists from Turkey, where casino gambling is illegal.

Arrivals by country

The most common citizenships of international visitors arriving in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019:[5] [15] [16]

Country2015Country2016Country2017Country2018Country2019
1 1,468,888 1 1,523,075 1 1,301,556 1 1,424,610 1 1,526,619
2 1,393,257 2 1,496,246 2 1,287,168 2 1,404,757 2 1,471,558
3 1,391,721 3 1,254,089 3 1,135,610 3 1,268,886 3 1,365,048
4926,144 4 1,037,564 4 1,007,276 4 1,098,555 4 1,156,513
5 141,734 5 172,631 5 282,549 5 291,070 5 207,667
6 59,487 6 147,915 6 169,862 6 177,058 6 205,051
7 41,425 7 92,213 7 115,040 7 156,922 7 141,997
8 36,826 8 48,809 8 48,913 8 66,903 8 103,611
9 36,777 9 44,388 9 56,765 9 64,486 9 89,051
10 31,147 10 40,889 10 56,247 10 58,955 10 88,300
Total number of tourists in 2015 5,255,999 Total number of tourists in 2016 5,392,816 Total number of tourists in 2017 6,482,830 Total number of tourists in 2018 7,203,350 Total number of tourists in 2019 7,725,774

Destinations and attractions

Destinations[17] Attractions
MtskhetaUNESCO World Heritage Sites: Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, Jvari Monastery, St. Nino Monastery • Bebristsikhe • Armaztsikhe (Bagineti) • Armazi Fortress • Monastery of Shio MghvimeZedazeni • Ilia Chavchavadze Saguramo State Museum
GoriGori Fortress • Virgin Mary Cathedral • Historical-Ethnographic Museum • State Museum of Joseph Stalin • Museum of Military Glory • Gorijvari (resort) • Uplistsikhe • Ateni Gorge • Village Gardateni • Ruisi Cathedral of Transfiguration • Urbnisi Cathedral
ZugdidiDadiani Palace History and Architectural MuseumGanmukhuri and Anaklia (Black Sea Resorts) • Kolkheti National Park • The swinging rock – "Kuakantsalia" • Khobi Monastery • Skuri (resort) • Complex of "Otsindale" • Shurubumu (wonder of the natural world) • Canyon of Intsra • Enguri Hydropower Plant
UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Bagrati Cathedral, Gelati MonasteryMotsameta MonasteryKutaisi State Historical Museum • National Museum of Military Glory • Historical district of the city • Vani Archeological MuseumSataplia Nature ReservePrometheus CaveKatskhi PillarOkatse Canyon
Telavi State History and Ethnography Museum • Cholokashvili Street • Batonis Tsikhe Castle • Nadikvari Park • Giant Plane tree • Old Shuamta (one of the olsdest Orthodox churches in Georgia) • New Shuamta • IkaltoAlexandre Chavchavadze Tsinandali MuseumAlaverdi Monastery
MestiaUNESCO World Heritage Sites: Ushguli (one of the highest settlements in Europe) • Svaneti Historic and Ethnography Museum • Museum of Michael Khergiani • Transfiguration Cathedral in Laghami • Ski lift and the view from Zuruldi • Chalaadi Glacier • Kala settlement • Village Adishi • Ipari-Nakipari Church of St. George • Latali Church of the Lord • HikingCamping
StepantsmindaStepantsminda Historic Museum • Gergeti Trinity Church • Gveleti Waterfall • Devdoraki GlacierDariali Gorge • Upper Truso Gorge • Khdi Gorge • Gorge of Artkhmo • Village Sno • Juta • HikingCamping
BorjomiBlue Palace "Firuza" • Mineral Water Park • Borjomi Museum of Local Lore • Gogia’s Castle • Peter’s Castle • Likani PalaceBorjomi-Kharagauli National ParkTimotesubani Monastery - The Cathedral of Holy Virgin • The Green Monastery • Kvabiskhevi Church of the Assumption
BatumiBeaches of Adjara • Old Batumi • Batumi Boulevard • Batumi Botanical Garden • Dolphinarium • Piazza Batumi • "Argo" Entertainment Center and Batumi Cable Car • Gonio Fortress • Makhuntseti Waterfall • Skhalta MonasteryMtirala National Park
AkhaltsikheRabati CastleAtskuri FortressSapara MonasteryVardzia (cave town) • Khertvisi FortressGeorgian National Astrophysical Observatory • Akhaltsikhe Synagogue
KvareliKindzmarauli vineyard • Khareba vineyard • Ilia Lake resort • House-Museum of Ilia Chavchavadze • Kvareli Fortress
SighnaghiTown Streets, Museum of Sighnaghi • St. Stephen Church • Wineries • Bodbe Monastery
GudauriSkiingParaglidingHeli-skiingSpeedridingSnowboarding • Ski school
BakurianiSkiingSnowboarding • Recreation • Bakuriani Park • Snowmobiling
TetnuldiSkiingMountaineeringSnowboarding
Goderdzi

Winemaking

Georgia is one of the oldest wine regions in the world and winemaking is deeply ingrained in the culture of the country.[18] The oldest archaeological remains related to grape seeds and winemaking dating back 8,000 years have been found at an archeological site at Gadachrili Gora,[19] in Georgia, while today the country has over 500 varieties of grape.As of 2019, Georgia has 20 appellations of origin of wines, they are: Tsinandali, Napareuli, Atenuri, Kindzmarauli, Akhasheni, Mukuzani, Khvanchkara, etc.[20]

Ecotourism

See also: National parks of Georgia. 41 percent of Georgia's territory is covered by forests, with 25 percent of Georgia's territory lying within protected national parks.[21] Protected areas of Georgia offer various services including: boating tours, birdwatching, eco-educational tours,[22] hiking, horse riding, biking,[23] safari tours,[24] sport fishing.[25] Georgia is a home to about 5,601 species of animals, including 648 species of vertebrates (more than 1 percent of the species found worldwide) and many of these species are endemics.[26]

In 2016, 310,477 foreign and 424,397 Georgian citizens visited the Protected Areas of Georgia.[27] The most popular attractions were Prometheus Cave, Kazbegi National Park and Sataplia Managed Reserve.[5] [28]

Safety

A travel advisory was in place during and after the 2008 Russo-Georgian War. It had the severity level of "extreme danger", due to the risks associated with fallout from the war, including land mines.[29] [30]

Since then tourist safety has improved, and in 2017 the International Crime Index ranked Georgia as the 7th safest country out of the 125 in its index.[31]

Practical information

Georgia uses the standard Europlug (220 V, 50 Hz), the international dialing prefix is +995, it uses the metric system, and its currency is the lari (GEL or ₾).[29]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Georgian tourism in figures . GNTA . 2015 . 2 February 2017.
  2. Web site: Statistics. February 2018. MIA. 3 May 2018.
  3. Web site: Georgia Tourism Strategy.
  4. Web site: Research Reports. 2 May 2018. Galt & Taggart Co.. 3 May 2018.
  5. Web site: Georgian tourism in figures . GNTA . 2016 . 1 November 2017.
  6. Web site: Accommodation Units. GNTA. August 2017. 1 November 2017.
  7. Web site: Tbilisi Marriott hotel. marriott.com.
  8. Web site: Courtyard Tbilisi. marriott.com. 4 February 2017.
  9. Web site: MERCURE TBILISI OLD TOWN. mercure.com. 4 February 2017.
  10. Web site: The Biltmore Hotel Tbilis. millenniumhotels. 4 February 2017.
  11. Web site: HILTON BATUMI. hilton.com. 4 February 2017.
  12. Web site: Holiday Inn Tbilisi. ihg.com. 4 February 2017.
  13. Web site: Sheraton Batumi. sheratonbatumi.com. 4 February 2017.
  14. Web site: Radisson Blu Iveria. radissonblu.com. 4 February 2017.
  15. Web site: Statistics . GNTA . 2017 . 3 May 2018.
  16. https://gnta.ge/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/2018-eng.xlsx International Travel (Residence) (2018)
  17. Web site: Destinations. GNTA. 4 February 2017.
  18. Web site: Unearthing Georgia's wine heritage. CNN. Ivan Watson. 20 April 2010. 5 February 2017.
  19. Web site: Oldest Evidence of Winemaking Discovered at 8,000-Year-Old Village. https://web.archive.org/web/20191112023842/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/11/oldest-winemaking-grapes-georgia-archaeology/. dead. 12 November 2019. National Geographic. Andrew Curry. 13 November 2017.
  20. Web site: Georgian wine. National Agency of Wine. 2 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20160310114128/http://georgianwine.gov.ge/eng/text/128/. 10 March 2016. dead.
  21. Web site: Details . Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat. 2 February 2017.
  22. Web site: Kolkheti National Park. Agency of Protected Areas. 18 February 2017.
  23. Web site: Bordjomi-Kharagauli Protected Areas. Agency of Protected Areas. 18 February 2017.
  24. Web site: Vashlovani Protected Areas. Agency of Protected Areas. 18 February 2017.
  25. Web site: Chachuna Protected Areas. Agency of Protected Areas. 18 February 2017.
  26. Web site: Eucariota, Animalia, Chordata . Institute of Ecology . 2015 . Georgian Biodiversity Database . 7 June 2016.
  27. Web site: 2016 წლის ვიზიტორთა სტატისტიკა თვეების მიხედვით . Agency of Protected Areas . 18 February 2016.
  28. [Nana Bolashvili]
  29. Web site: Georgia travel - Lonely Planet. Lonely. Planet. Lonely Planet.
  30. Web site: Eastern Europe & the Caucasus forum at Lonely Planet. Lonely. Planet. www.lonelyplanet.com.
  31. Web site: Crime Index for Country 2017 . Numbeo . 2017 . www.numbeo.com . 4 February 2017.