Deputy Economy Minister expects "unprecedented” tourist numbers from Saudi Arabia in summer season
Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili met with the Acting Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Georgia, Amer Omar. Photo: Ministry of Economy.
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Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili on Tuesday said tourism authorities expected an “unprecedented high” number of visitors from Saudi Arabia in the coming summer tourist season in Georgia due to recently inked airline deals.
Kvrivishvili made the comment after her meeting with Amer Omar, the Acting Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Georgia, today to discuss the season, where she said Georgia was “one of the safest and most hospitable countries” for visitors.
We expect to have an unprecedented high tourist flow from Saudi Arabia this summer, which is due to the fact that we have successfully completed negotiations with the airlines that operate or will start operating in Georgia. We expect a total of 54 flights from Tbilisi to Saudi Arabia during the summer season", Kvrivishvili said.
The Deputy Minister also said Saudi Arabia was a "strategically important target country" for Georgian tourism agencies, with visitors from the country "distinguished by high spending".
The importance of “fruitful cooperation” between agencies of Georgia and Saudi Arabia, and the prospects for deepening connections in the field of economy were discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili and Faisal bin Fadel Al-Ibrahim, the Minister of Economy and Planning of the Kingdom.
Georgia will export both animal and plant products, including small and large cattle and locally produced honey, to Saudi Arabia, the Head of the National Food Agency Zurab Chekurashvili announced earlier today.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili discussed prospects of cooperation in economy and tourism with Faisal bin Fahran Al Saud, the Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, at the ongoing Munich Security Conference in Germany on Friday.
Georgia hosted 244,293 international travellers in April, posting a 37.7 percent recovery from the pre-pandemic 2019 figure and an increase of 184.9 percent year-on-year, the Georgian National Tourism Administration announced on Wednesday.
The Georgian National Tourism Administration, local travel companies and hotels are promoting the country’s tourist sights and potential at the Arabian Travel Market, a trade exhibition hosted in the United Arab Emirates.
Georgia has hosted 431,300 international visitors in the first quarter of the year, with the figure being 4.8 times higher compared to the same period of 2021, the latest data from the National Statistics Office of Georgia shows.
Georgian Deputy Minister of Economy Mariam Kvrivishvili is in talks with Saudi Arabia's budget airline company Flyadeal to launch flights to Georgia, the Ministry of Economy said on Monday.
Georgia is participating at the 116th Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, which is taking place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as a member of the Council for the first time, the Ministry of Economy of Georgia announced on Tuesday.
Mariam Kvrivishvili, the Georgian Deputy Economy Minister, on Wednesday discussed development of bilateral relations with Princess Haifa Al Saud, the Assistant Minister for Tourism of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabian budget airline Flyadeal has made its inaugural flight to Georgia from the capital Riyadh and resort city of Jeddah with brand new Airbus A320neo aircraft, the United Airports of Georgia said on Friday.
The prospects of holding the annual meeting of m&i Forum, the association of the largest forums of the business tourism industry, in Georgia next year was discussed by deputy economy minister Mariam Kvrivishvili and representatives of the association who visited the country on Friday at the invitation of the Georgian national tourism administration.