How did Georgia’s “Infinite Hospitality” arrive in Berlin?
Against the background of such a “special return”, the main message of the Georgian showcase at the exhibition went beyond the slogan and represented an honest effort. Photo: Georgian National Tourism Administration
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On March 4, I travelled from Tbilisi to Berlin, only to discover at the airport of the German capital that Georgia was still in front of me in the middle of Europe. The reason for this was the numerous advertising banners that positioned Georgia impressively with the messages of “Infinite hospitality - Georgia”, “Find Infinite Wonders”, “Meet Infinite Culture” and more. I quickly realised the Georgian adventure in Berlin was only beginning.
And why did Georgia come to the attention of the German capital on such a large scale? Why was Berlin the city hosting the promotion, and who was behind this event? The fact is that between March 6-9, ITB Berlin, the world's largest tourism exhibition, was running in the capital to involve representations from 180 countries, with Georgia as the official Host Country of the fair.
The main event was planned at the famous exhibition space of Messe Berlin. This year, ITB Berlin was a particularly large-scale and important event for the world following the three-year break caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The main message of Georgia as the Host Country was “Infinite Hospitality”, around which the opening gala concert, the Georgian tourist stands and the programme of the subsequent days were built. About 80 Georgian companies participated in the exhibition on behalf of the country.
Together with the entire industry I expect a spectacular comeback, bursting with energy”, Dirk Hoffmann, the Managing Director of Messe Berlin, said - and indeed, the following days showed how impressive the main message of the Georgian representation was, in addition to the fair’s exhibition programme as a whole.
A few words about ITB Berlin opening
Against the background of such a “special return”, the main message of the Georgian showcase at the exhibition went beyond the slogan and represented an honest effort. A day before the grand opening, I attended the final preparatory works both at the Georgian stand of the fairgrounds and the venue of the gala concert at CityCube Berlin. State officials working to ensure the last details of the opening ceremony, exhibition organisers and popular artists from Georgia were all united around one goal - everything had to go perfectly, Georgia's hosting had to be unforgettable.
Our mission is to show Georgian infinite, beautiful culture and heritage together with the absolutely modern avant-garde of the 21st century”, Basa Potskhishvili, the director of the opening concert said.
And this common effort did not go unnoticed.
The fair was opened by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, the Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Zurab Pololikashvili, German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, Dirk Hoffmann, the Managing Director of Messe Berlin and Julia Simpson, the President of the World Travel and Tourism Council with a “brilliant and spectacular” ceremony at CityCube Berlin. The opening show of ITB Berlin, under the heading “Infinite Georgian Culture - From the Beginnings of Viticulture to opening Modern Avant-garde Art”, presented a 45-minute cultural programme with a brief look at the Georgian history, from the Greek myth of the Argonauts to the present day, while also featuring performances of ethno jazz and classical music artists.
The stage also was set for electronic music producers and the Sukhishvili Georgian National Ballet, with about 3,000 guests attending the show. The cultural programme also involved the popular Rustavi Ensemble in their performance of polyphonic singing, while also featuring violinist Liza Batiashvili, composer and musician Dato Evgenidze and experimental music producer Nika Machaidze.
An unforgettable dinner was also hosted late in the evening, where guests of the Messe venue could taste the best Georgian dishes and drinks, in a move highlighting gastronomy tourism as one of the leading directions of the modern worldwide tourism sector.
When you meet Georgian people [and] visit Georgian families, you will experience a phenomenon that is the [trademark] of our entire history - Georgian hospitality, which is truly infinite. For Georgians, hospitality is an identity-defining, inviolable, always living tradition despite the changes of time and circumstances, and this unique feature of the Georgian character has not disappeared even in the most difficult and dramatic periods of history”, Garibashvili said at the launch.
This is @ITB_Berlin - the world's leading travel trade fair. #ITBBerlin is OPEN FOR CHANGE and it's our pleasure to welcome Prime Minister @GharibashviliGe ???????? , @BMWK Robert Habeck, @RegBerlin @FranziskaGiffey, Jessica Simpson @WTTC and Dirk Hoffmann, #MesseBerlin pic.twitter.com/nnyMmyQYi3
— Messe Berlin (@MesseBerlin) March 6, 2023
The Georgian PM officially launched ITB Berlin on the next morning at the country’s stand in Berlin and toured the exhibition spaces with guests including Pololikashvili, Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey and Norbert Fiebig, the President of the German Travel Association.
Photo: Government's Press Office.
To roughly understand the scale of the ITB Berlin fairgrounds and the number of visitors, I will note that there were 10 country stands in one pavilion, with the fairground itself encompassing such a span of territory that in many cases visitors used shuttles to get from one point to another. I also went this way when I decided to go to the adventure pavilion 7, where there was another stand of Georgian entrepreneurs.
After three long years of missing out ITB Berlin due to the pandemic, we finally kicked-off the eagerly awaited live-comeback of The World's Leading Travel Trade Show®! Thank you for such a magnificiant opening day of ITB Berlin 2023. We are looking forward to the next days! pic.twitter.com/kdx0VDPATG
— ITB Berlin (@ITB_Berlin) March 6, 2023
What was presented in the main Georgian pavilion for visitors?
The Georgian stand occupied around 1,000 square metres, featuring more than 80 domestic hospitality sector companies, accommodation facilities and tourism representatives, including the country’s National Tourism Administration, the Adjara region’s Tourism Department, Tbilisi City Hall and the United Airports of Georgia.
Organisers of the main Georgian pavilion came up with many interesting activities illustrating Georgian traditions and culture to attract visitors. Calligraphers Davit Maisuradze and Giorgi Gorgiashvili occupied one of the most impressive and active corners at the Georgian stand. They were surrounded by so many people that I found it hard to interview them even for a few minutes.
Photo: Georgian National Tourism Administration
Maisuradze said he and his friend were presenting samples of Georgian calligraphy and transforming Georgian words using the visual styles. He said their effort was meant to convey the “extremely diverse” nature of Georgian writing - as demonstrated by its approximately 50 subtypes behind the three main writing systems the language is widely recognised for.
The [visitor] interest is very high - I have been here since 8 o'clock and I have not stopped. People ask me to write their names or some beautiful words in Georgian - they are fascinated by the flexibility and forms of writing”, he said proudly.
Photo: Georgian National Tourism Administration
Along with Georgian hospitality sector companies showcased at the grounds, visitors had the opportunity to see how some of the most iconic dishes of the Georgian cuisine - churchkhela snack of nuts and grape juice, khinkali dumplings, and bread made in tone ovens - are produced, while also being offered to taste the popular Laghidze Water drink, which I could not resist either. Of course, I also talked to representatives of the companies who said they were “proud” to present their products.
Photo: Georgian National Tourism Administration
The wine corner featured the kvevri clay vessels. Visitors were able to taste Georgian wine and receive brief information about our 8,000-year-long winemaking history”, Maia Omiadze, GNTA Head also explained.
I also saw ITB Berlin note on its social media channels later that day that the tourism industry was a “passion industry” - and this was an absolutely accurate summary for me, looking at how those people representing their country were imbued with great passion and enthusiasm.
Shota Tsereteli, a representative of a Georgian tourism company, confidently said exhibitions - and particularly ITB Berlin, through its status as a major international fair for the industry - were the “best place” for the entrepreneurs to advertise their products and meet new partners.
This year, Georgia, as the Host Country, is receiving special attention, and we hope that this circumstance will attract more visitors to our country,” he noted.
Infinite Adventure of Georgia
And then it was time for me to see the Adventure Pavilion - an area of no less interest - so I crossed pavilions showcasing many countries, “swimming” through a sea of visitors from all over the world with the assistance of the Messe map. The Pavilion was a place where tourism and investment opportunities of Georgia and its Black Sea region of Adjara were introduced to visitors, with people from different regions of the country presenting their handmade and traditional products.
Photo: Adjara Tourism Department
Tinatin Zoidze, the Chair of the Department of Tourism and Resorts of Adjara, shared with me the idea behind the representation of the region’s attractions at ITB Berlin, which was to highlight its status as a “four-season” destination while also showing the coastal region’s national parks, protected areas and diverse cultural and traditional destinations.
We are holding a lot of meetings here, and the products we are presenting are very interesting in both ecotourism and extreme and adventure tourism sectors […] we have also presented 25 marked routes of Adjara that are of great interest to people all around the world. We emphasise that along with seaside resorts we also have mountainous municipalities, and highlight our diversified products such as UNESCO natural heritage sites [and] birdwatching routes [...] our region ranks third in the world in the number of predatory birds”, she said, adding Adjara was scheduled to host an international birdwatching tourism festival and symposium, an event involving many world-class ornithologists, in September.
Photo: Georgian National Tourism Administration
I also talked to Georgian entrepreneurs who said they were confident ITB Berlin would become an “important gateway” for them to go beyond Georgia in their business. These included Gabriel Tenieshvili and Nika Gugeshashvili - the former representing a tea production business from the western region of Guria, and the latter running a wood carving workshop in the village of Oni in the Racha region, also in the west of the country.
Tenieshvili presented the tourist project Tea Road, and the product from his family plantations and factory. He hosted visitors in a tea tasting space, introduced them to brief facts about the history of Georgian tea and the technology used in his business. Project representatives also offered those visiting their corner to taste hand-picked tea, with three types of the product of the “highest quality” - out of nine produced by his project - showcased at the fair.
The exhibition gives us a great chance to introduce our tourism potential to the world - I think it will attract a lot of tourists and strengthen our economy,” he said.
Photo: Gabriel Tenieshvili/Facebook
Gugeshashvili’s workshop project has roots in his father’s background as a master of wood carving - a trade he conveyed to his children. At ITB Berlin, the family presented a traditional wooden family chair, which the senior Gugeshashvili refined with his own design using the theme of the ancient Greek legend of the Golden Fleece. Small traditional chests, decorative plates and other items were also presented at the stand.
We also have an Artist's House in Racha, set up with a traditional environment and often visited by tourists. It is very important for us to participate in such a big exhibition in Berlin - it really is a great success for our family,” Nika said.
What can Georgia expect from tourism, and why are such venues important for the country?
The importance of the tourism sector for Georgia was described well by its Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili, who told a press briefing at ITB Berlin the country enjoyed “all the advantages of being located at a crossroads of civilisations”, and noted its status as a “dynamic country with a significant commitment to building a modern, competitive economy, as well as creating an attractive business environment for local and foreign investors”.
Also within the scope of the event, Georgia received €37 million in marketing coverage from ITB Berlin, which Mariam Kvrivishvili, the Deputy Economy Minister, called a “great chance” for increasing awareness of the country. She emphasised the support would have an effect on Georgian citizens’ “economic success [and] income growth”, leading to creation of more jobs and [...] a stronger tourism sector to contribute to further economic development of the country.
And indeed - the traditional Georgian culture and spirit, as well as its modernity, tourist potential and hospitality were perfectly presented during the days of the fair. Time will show how much this will affect the welfare and economic benefits of locals in the country. With the United Nations World Tourism Organisation saying the tourism sector is back and committed to delivering positive change that goes beyond the sector itself, the return of the ITB fair was heralded by the UNWTO in comments that highlighted confidence in travel being the “ultimate barometer of trust”.
And we in Georgia only add-everyone can trust that Georgian hospitality really is infinite and sincere.