World Bank: “Tapping Georgia’s Tourism Potential, one region at a time”
The church of Katskhi Pillar, built in the 5th century in western Georgia's Imereti region, abruptly rises 40 metres above the hills of Central Georgia. Photo from www.worldbank.org
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Agenda.ge, May 07, 2016, Tbilisi, Georgia
Tourism is one of the fastest growing economic sectors in Georgia, the World Bank says.
The organisation has assessed Georgia’s tourism potential in an article published on the World Bank’s website.
The article says the tourism industry contributed 23.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 20.1 percent of total direct and indirect employment in 2015 in Georgia. The sector also currently provided as much as 36.4 percent of total export earnings.
The article focuses on one of Georgian regions – Imereti in the country’s west.
"[The Imereti Region] is an ancient region with many historical sites, natural beauty, and a number of spas and resorts,” the article says.
"Tskaltubo, a spa town in the heart of the region, is undergoing a makeover as part of the ongoing Second Regional Development Project targeting Imereti region.”
The article describes the town rehabilitation project that envisages improvement of both infrastructure services and institutional capacity.
"These improvements will help compound the increasing contribution of tourism to the local economy of Imereti,” the piece says.
"Revitalising the resort is a key part of the World Bank’s strategy for aiding economic development in the Imereti region.”
Read the full article here: www.worldbank.org.