National parks, museums across Georgia mark World Tourism Day with free admission

Five of Georgia's most impressive protected areas have been hosting visitors free of charge to mark World Tourism Day on Monday, with dozens of museum spaces across the country set to follow suit on Tuesday.

In a move to celebrate the international date, the tourism and national park bodies made the five locations - the Prometheus and Sataplia caves, Martvili Canyon, Okatse canyon and waterfall - accessible without admission fee.

The western Georgian locations welcomed those discovering their caves, waterfalls and sites of ancient wildlife remains, as the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) designated this year's World Tourism Day with the "tourism for inclusive growth" theme.

Two dozen venues and 12 museum-reserves will open for visitors on Tuesday without admission fees. Photo via Georgian National Tourism Administration.

On Tuesday, the move will be joined by the culture ministry, which will open the doors of its 24 museum venues and 12 museum-reserves without charge. The ministry has made the full list of venues and open-air locations available in its social media post (in Georgian).

From the Tbilisi-based Georgian National Museum and Art Palace, to the historical Dadiani Palace in Georgia's west and Uplistsikhe and Vardzia cave towns, the state culture body will seek to "promote cultural and historical treasures and expand access to them".

The day-long opening of the locations free of charge is set to contribute to the UNWTO's declared principle to see "restart of tourism [...] help kickstart recovery and growth" after the damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic to the industry.

In its World Tourism Day statement, the UN organisation stressed it is "essential that the benefits [...] are enjoyed widely and fairly" from a relaunch of tourism-related activities.