Winter season in Georgia: New ski lift opens in Gudauri

Gudauri, one of Georgia’s top ski resorts, is today celebrating the opening of a new ski lift named Shino.

About 20 million GEL (about $7.19 million/€6.89 million*) was invested to build the new Shino ski lift, which was produced by leading Austrian company Doppelmayr

This was the third new ski lift added to the seven already operational ski lifts at Gudauri.

At the Shino ski lift opening ceremony, honorary awards were given to those who have contributed to Gudauri's development in the early 1980s.

A video by Gudauri (Facebook page) showing the construction of Shino ski lift in Gudauri.

Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who attended the ceremony, promised the resort would keep developing.

We continue your work and have big plans… We have completed works on the general development plan of Gudauri, which is created by Canadian mountain development firm Ecosign. Thanks to this plan Gudauri will soon be transformed into a world-class ski resort,” said Kvirikashvili.

According to Ecosign’s master plan for developing Gudauri, Georgia’s most popular winter resort will undergo a major transformation to equip the area with the latest technology and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, PM announced people living in Gudauri and more than 7,000 tourists who visit the resort each year will enjoy a constant water supply from 2018.

Georgia's Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili (third from right) together with honourable Gudauri residents. Photo by the PM's press office.  

This year Georgia’s Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure and the United Water Supply Company of Georgia started the first phase of water supply construction in Gudauri. The project included building a water distribution network and reservoir to ensure a constant water supply.

This year the first stage of the project was completed while the 24-hour water supply will be available in Gudauri from 2018,” said Kvirikashvili.

While talking about the recent developments in Gudauri the PM mentioned an adventure tourism school, which offered locals the chance to improve their knowledge about the mountain and mountain safety.

*Currencies are equivalent with the latest National Bank of Georgia exchange rate.