Georgia working to be the first country that welcomes tourists after coronavirus shutdown
The total number of arrivals by international non-resident travellers coming to Georgia in February 2020 decreased by 0.7 per cent compared to the same period of last year and amounted to 466,409. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Georgia is striving to become the first country that opens its doors to foreign tourists after months of lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic.
We are actively working with the World Tourism Organisation to ensure that under strict guidelines the Georgian tourism market will be safe and one of the first to welcome foreign tourists. Of course this is possible only under strict control", said Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava.
Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava had an online meeting with representatives of the Georgian tourism sector today. Photo: Ministry of Economy.
Turnava said that the Georgian tourism industry had been particularly affected as a result of the crisis caused by the pandemic and it needed a special approach.
- Coronavirus impact: Georgian tourism to see 30 mln GEL loss per month
- Travel to Georgia down in February - coronavirus to blame
We have been helping the tourism industry with various benefits and programmes since the first day of the crisis, but this is no longer enough. The tourism industry needs some time today to become as profitable and attractive as it was before the crisis. At the same time, we are quite optimistic that Georgia will be one of the first countries to defeat the epidemic and open its borders," Natia Turnava said.
Turnava said that the tourism sector needs special support to overcome the challenges it faces today and that "we are working on a tourism support programme" that includes anti-crisis measures as well as future incentives.
Enterprise Georgia is starting a new programme today to cofinance family-owned, small and medium-size hotels in Georgia. The programme will seek to alleviate financial problems in the tourism industry due to the spread of the coronavirus.
The total number of arrivals by international non-resident travellers coming to Georgia in February 2020 decreased by 0.7 per cent compared to the same period of last year and amounted to 466,409, says the Georgian National Tourism Administration.
Georgia’s tourism sector will lose about 30 million GEL per month (about $10.79m/€9.93m) following the coronavirus ban on travel from China and Iran, announces Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava.
Georgia still remains in the low-risk zone for the spread of the coronavirus, though the National Disease Control Centre has begun strengthening efforts in order to efficiently respond to the recent China-born coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, Amiran Gamkrelidze, the head of the National Disease Control Centre (NCDC) has announced today.
Some Japanese, South Korean and German companies have expressed their desire to transfer part of their businesses to Georgia, Economy Minister Natia Turnava has recently stated. Minister Turnava considers that by doing so, global companies would gain a comparative advantage.
The government of Georgia is working to develop a strategic plan for the revival of the tourism sector: the worst affected of all the country’s major economic sectors by the coronavirus pandemic in Georgia. The goal is to make Georgia one of the first countries able to open its doors to foreign tourists after months of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Domestic tourism starting June 15, int’l tourism from July 1
Georgia is setting the goal of becoming the first country to open its doors to foreign tourists starting July 1 after months of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic and to welcome international travellers with a new image - 'Georgia - Safe Destination!'. Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava said that Georgia will be promoted as a safe destination for international travellers, as an internationally acclaimed and successful country in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
18 airline companies ready to resume flights
Georgia is getting ready to welcome international travellers from July 1 into a safe environment during the COVID-19 pandemic by creating so-called safe corridors. Georgian Economy Minister has discussed how to prepare each transport sector in order to be able to transport foreign guests comfortably and as safely with the heads of regulatory services of the transport sector.
The number of arrivals of international non-resident travellers to Georgia equalled 1.3 million in the first quarter of 2020, which is 17.6 per cent lower compared to the previous year, announces the National Statistics Office of Georgia.
Tourists entering Georgia may be obliged to show documents that they tested negative for Covid-19 with PCR tests in the last 72 hours before arriving in the country, said Head of the Georgian National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze.
Georgia has kept its place on the EU’s newly updated list of safe countries along with 10 other non-EU states, says Georgian Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani.
Georgia has become the first country to host the session of the World Tourism Organisation’s (WTO) Executive Council outside the borders of Spain. Delivering a speech during the 112th session of WTO in Tbilisi earlier today, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia stated that Georgia and WTO ‘have been linked with long, successful cooperation which is becoming more and more fruitful.’