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.
Georgian capital of Tbilisi has become the victor of the recent online voting of Ireland’s low-cost airline Ryanair, as the best travel destination for 2020. The voting was underway at Ryanair’s instagram story where Tbilisi has defeated Rome, Santorini, Paris, Mallorca and finally - Barcelona.
Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava is promoting Georgia as a safe destination for international travellers, as an internationally acclaimed and successful country in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Georgian ambassadors abroad are also involved in this process and are spreading the message of 'Georgia as a safe tourism destination' in their respective host countries.
Georgia has been named as Travel Lemming's top emerging destination on the planet for 2020 and number one overall in Europe. The website promoting emerging travel destinations around the world, unveiled the selection this morning.
The Georgian capital of Tbilisi has been 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.
Georgia is the safest country among 12 states of East Europe and Central Asia for Covid-19, reports Deep Knowledge Group. Deep Knowledge Group (DKG) has assessed countries based on 76 parameters to determine their treatment efficiency, healthcare readiness, quarantine efficiency, and government efficiency of risk management.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said the country is “a green island of peace in terms of containing the coronavirus pandemic. However, to preserve this, all citizens must demonstrate even more public responsibility in their daily activities. As of June 13, Georgia has confirmed a total of 851 cases of COVID-19, including the eight new cases.
Head of Georgia’s National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze says the academic year will begin in September and the parliamentary elections will be held in October without any problems if Georgia maintains the current rate of infection.
Lithuanian online media outlet Delfi published an article about Georgia on March 17, calling the country ”one of the nicest holiday destinations” with “pocket-friendly” prices.