UNWTO ministerial scheduled to discuss prospects of tourism industry in September in Georgia
The decision came during a video conference between Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and Secretary General of the UNWTO Zurab Pololikashvili today. Photo: Gov't of Georgia.
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Ministers of tourism from several dozens of countries will gather in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi in September 2020 to discuss the future prospects of the tourism industry at a ministerial under the aegis of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).
This was decided during a video conference between Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and Secretary General of the UNWTO Zurab Pololikashvili today.
Pololikashvili welcomed the tourism recovery and anti-crisis plan released by the government of Georgia, thereby noting that the country took successful measures, including those aimed at becoming the first country in the world to re-open its doors to tourism.
- Rebranding Georgia’s tourism image: Domestic tourism starting June 15, int’l tourism from July 1
- Georgia working to be the first country that welcomes tourists after coronavirus shutdown
Pololikashvili also praised the government's decision to classify various recreation areas of the country as green zones for tourism.
Attention was paid to the concept of safe corridors, which are negotiated both with neighbouring countries as well as with other markets of interest for tourism. Gakharia said the UNWTO's support in this process was important.
In his Twitter post Pololikashvili promissed "full support" to keep coordinating response to mitigate the imact of COVID-19 in the tourism.
Today I expressed to the Prime Minister of #Georgia ????????, @GakhariaGiorgi, our full support to keep coordinating a strong and effective response that mitigates the impact of #COVID19 in the tourism of the region.@GovernmentGeo @GeorgiainSpain @GeorgiaUN pic.twitter.com/lAIGYrzddk
— Zurab Pololikashvili (@pololikashvili) May 8, 2020
Pololikashvili said that Georgia is well positioned and strategically located, with all its tourism infrastructure developed in recent years to turn into a rather competitive destination in the given circumstances, while the UNWTO will do its best to facilitate this process of coordination with target markets of interest to Georgia.
The World Health Organization (WHO) sees many positive signs from different countries in the fight against the new coronavirus outbreak including Georgia, noted Catherine Smallwood, WHO's senior health emergency officer for Europe.
Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava held a presentation today on how the government is planning to help the tourism industry reopen and overcome challenges caused by 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.
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.
Georgia's Black Sea region of Adjara should become the main driving force for Georgian tourism and the economy, said Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia at today's meeting with representatives from Adjara's tourism sector.
‘Georgia as a safe tourism destination’ is the message Georgian ambassadors will deliver to their respective host countries starting tomorrow, announces Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia. The ambassadors will pursue the establishment of so-called safe green corridors with various countries to ensure safe international travel.