Washington Post, CNN on Georgia’s tourism plans after coronavirus pandemic
As the 63-day state of emergency came to an end in Georgia on May 23, the country is planning to resume domestic tourism starting June 15 and receive international tourists starting July 1. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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The Washington Post and CNN have spoken of Georgia’s plans to reopen its economy and boost tourism development after the coronavirus pandemic.
In its article about Georgia the Washington Post says that the country ‘rebrands as a holiday haven from the pandemic’ .
Georgia is far from alone in trying to reinvent itself for tourism in the wake of COVID-19. But the South Caucasus nation, tucked between Turkey and Russia, offers a look into some of the emerging strategies, such as promoting low infection rates and being selective about who gets in”, the article reads.
It further notes that Georgia is ‘among the first wave of countries cautiously restarting their tourism industries even as coronavirus concerns linger for both potential travellers and destinations’.
Georgia will attempt to appeal to post-coronavirus travellers by pushing outdoor activities more conducive to distancing precautions, such as visiting the wine region or the national parks. The country is also labelling some resorts as 'green zones', keeping them exclusive to guests who want to be reassured about privacy and sanitary conditions”, the article adds.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry has also tweeted:
WP”Georgia’s response to the novel coronavirus is a relative success story. Now it wants to parlay that into a holiday draw”https://t.co/kP1IJMYnSs
— MFA of Georgia (@MFAgovge) May 30, 2020
Discussing which international destinations are reopening to tourists, CNN says Georgia ‘was experiencing a tourism boom before the coronavirus pandemic, with five million travellers visiting in 2019, a 7% increase on the previous year’.
However, CNN notes that the country ‘was forced to close its winter resorts and place a ban on all foreign visitors back in March because of the crisis’.
Eager to revive its tourism sector, the country's government says it plans to reopen to international travellers on July 1. Officials have brought in a three-stage "anti-crisis" plan, which includes a marketing campaign designed to promote Georgia as a ‘safe destination.’ The next stage will allow for domestic travel in special ‘safe’ tourism zones, while the final stage involves reopening borders and resuming some flights”, CNN states.
As the 63-day state of emergency came to an end in Georgia on May 23, the country is planning to resume domestic tourism starting June 15 and receive international tourists starting July 1.
Recently, two Georgian cities of Tbilisi and Batumi were named the safest place to travel in Europe in 2020 amongst the cities selected by European Best Destinations, a travel website developed to promote culture and tourism in Europe.