Deputy economy minister: 100% recovery of Georgia’s tourism income after pandemic, expected to exceed 3bln in 2022

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.

Kvrivishvili highlighted the close partnership between the member states of the council, which served for the “effective” implementation of common goals, adding the session was an “extraordinary” opportunity for the countries to discuss the achieved progress in the sector, the economy ministry said.

In her speech, the deputy minister stressed that the “continuous” support of Zurab Pololikashvili, the general secretary of the organisation and his team, as well as their new initiatives and programmes, had had a “direct” impact on the restoration of tourism on an international scale.

I would like to [...] confirm Georgia's readiness to engage in joint activities in the active educational process of tourism. We firmly believe that appropriate education is the factor that ensures the sustainable development of the sector and the creation of high-paying jobs”, Kvrivishvili noted.

The crucial issues of the international travel and tourism agenda were discussed at the session of the UNWTO executive council in Morocco. Georgia has been a member of the council between 2021-2025 years.