Georgian Economy Minister: land borders are expected to open in next few weeks
After more than a year-long closure of land borders, visits by international travellers who came to Georgia amounted to 212,700 in the first four months of 2021, which is 81.6% less compared to the same period of last year. Photo: Report.ge.
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The land borders of Georgia are expected to open in the next few weeks, once the third wave of the coronavirus passes, announces Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava.
She said that the opening of land borders will be an important incentive for the tourism sector.
The opening of [land borders] is one of the most important incentives for tourism, because historically, neighbouring states have always been one of the first contributors to tourism with us. Of course, European tourists have also been very active, tourists from the Persian Gulf, tourists from Israel, but the neighborhood has always been traditionally a very important sender of tourists", said Turnava.
After more than a year-long closure of land borders, visits by international travellers who came to Georgia amounted to 212,700 in the first four months of 2021, which is 81.6% less compared to the same period of last year.
However, in April alone international travellers made 82,519 visits in Georgia, which is an increase of 140.4% year-on-year.
The first flow of vaccinated tourists will appear in Georgia in the second half of March, Economy Minister Natia Turnava said earlier today.
In January-April of 2021, revenue from foreign tourism decreased by 77.5% year-on-year in Georgia, says Galt & Taggart, an investment banking and investment management services company in Georgia.
Tourism will reopen in Georgia through so-called 'safe corridors' to ensure an organised inflow of foreign visitors from countries which have positive results in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, says the Vice Prime Minister of Georgia and the country's Minister of Infrastructure Maia Tskitishvili.
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 is opening its land borders on June 1, 2021 after more than a year-long closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. Individuals will be admitted through the land borders of Georgia with evidence of full vaccination and negative PCR test results or alternatively only with a negative PCR test result taken within the last 72 hours.