Tourism income expected to reach pre-pandemic $3bln this year - economy minister
Levan Davitashvili, the Georgian minister for economy, on Monday said the tourism sector recovery process was “ongoing actively” even outside seasonal periods. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Levan Davitashvili, the Georgian minister for economy, on Monday said the government was expecting about three billion dollars in income from the domestic tourism sector this year, which would mark a number close to the pre-pandemic figure of $3.2 billion.
Speaking to the media, the minister said the tourism sector recovery process was “ongoing actively” even outside seasonal periods.
I believe the [recovery] process will continue proactively. Between July and September, tourism income outperformed that in the pre-pandemic period. The winter season is expected to be active thanks to restored flights to a number of directions”, said the minister.
He also said the recovery trend was “absolutely positive” despite a lack of tourists from several traditional markets “due to the current geopolitical situation in the region”, adding a further growth in the number of tourists was “very likely” [after the ongoing conflict in Ukraine].
Economy minister Levan Davitashvili said on Monday that the tourism sector recovery trend was "absolutely positive". Photo: economy ministry press office.
Davitashvili also noted a “rapid development” of the capital market in the country was “one of the major topics” within structural reforms, adding the government had discussed the 2022-2028 strategy for the development of the capital market of Georgia and approved the related 2022-2024 action plan at its weekly meeting on Monday.
He said the move would contribute to the unification of the country's economic space, ensure freedom of economic activity and establishment of a “competitive and stable investment environment”.
Davitashvili also said ensuring a “rapid development” of the capital market was among the government's priorities, and was “fully consistent” with the country’s obligations towards the European Union as part of the 2014-signed association agreement between the sides.
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.
Georgia’s revenues from tourism reached $522,945,221 in August, a 26.7 percent increase from the same month of the pre-pandemic 2019 and a 163.1 percent increase over August 2021, the country’s tourism administration said on Friday.
Passenger flow at Tbilisi International Airport recovered by 92 percent compared to the pre-pandemic 2019 figure in August, TAV Georgia, the company operating two major airports in the country, said on Monday.
Georgia’s revenues from tourism reached $476 million in July, a 20 percent increase from the same month of the pre-pandemic 2019 and a roughly 130 percent increase from July 2021, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said at today's Government meeting.
Georgia's income from international tourist visits reached $375,615,194 in September, with the figure being 132.1 percent higher compared to the same period of last year, the Georgian national tourism administration said on Thursday.
Georgia received $2,854,529,093 from international tourism between January and October of this year, with the figure surpassing pre-pandemic numbers from 2019 and hitting record-high markers this year, the Georgian national tourism administration announced on Thursday.
After the coronavirus pandemic, Georgia was able to recover its tourism income by 100 percent and as a result, a $3 billion surpass in the sector is expected, which will have a “direct” impact on job creation and improvement of the well-being of citizens, the Georgian deputy economy minister Mariam Kvrivishvili said on Thursday in her address at the 117th session of the executive council of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.
Georgia’s revenues from tourism reached $3.2 billion between January-November, a 103.5 percent recovery from the same period of the pre-pandemic 2019 and a 182.4 percent increase over the same period of 2021, the National Tourism Administration said on Friday.
Representatives of the largest travel companies from Moldova have visited Georgia and met with their Georgian counterparts to discuss future cooperation and joint tour planning, the Georgian National Tourism Administration said on Sunday.