Increased tourist numbers from EU, Israel, Gulf states “important” - Deputy Economy Minister
Mariam Kvrivishvili credited the “correct policies” of the Government with the increased figures of international tourists. Photo: Economy Ministry press office
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Mariam Kvrivishvili, the Deputy Economy Minister of Georgia, on Tuesday said it was “important” to see increasing numbers of visitors from the European Union, Israel and Gulf states over the first six months of this year.
In her press comments, the official credited the “correct policies” of the Government with the figures and said they had led to international tourism revenue reaching a “record-high” $1.8 billion between January and June.
She added her body had been engaged in “active promotional campaigns” and other “significant projects” to raise the awareness of the country’s tourism potential internationally and ensure additional direct flights with “strategically important” countries, which she said would further increase inflow of tourists in Georgia.
Maia Omiadze, the head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration, on Monday said the $1.8 billion in incomes from international tourism in the reported period meant an almost 124 percent recovery compared to the pre-pandemic period in 2019, and a 57.9 percent increase compared to the data of the first six months of 2022.
Speaking about income from international tourism in the second quarter of this year, Omiadze said revenues had exceeded one billion dollars and marked a 115 percent recovery compared to the same period in 2019.
She also said tourism income in the second quarter of this year had increased by more than $260 million, marking an almost 35 percent increase on the same period of 2022.
Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili on Thursday said 11 new locations, including capital Tbilisi and spots in towns and regions of Kakheti, Mestia, Bakhmaro, Goderdzi, and Bakuriani, would be designated for paragliding activities across the country.
Georgia’s tourism potential is promoted by officials and companies from the country at the ongoing Fitur 2023 international tourism trade fair in Spain, an event bringing together thousands of companies from over 130 countries.
Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili, on Wednesday, responded to the Russian Government’s decision to lift its ban on flights with Georgia and visa requirements for citizens of the country by saying that sanctioned airlines and ships would not be able to operate in Georgia, while unsanctioned ones would have an opportunity to perform direct flights.
Maia Omiadze, the head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration, on Tuesday said revenues from international tourism had amounted to a “record-high” $1.8 billion between January and June of this year, claiming numbers for the third quarter would be “even more impressive”.
Givi Mikanadze, the Head of the Georgia-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group and the Georgian delegation on Saturday discussed the high-level cooperation and friendship between the countries with the representatives of the Israeli Government.
The largest number of visitors Georgia hosted in the second quarter of 2023 came from Turkey, followed by Russia and Armenia, the latest inbound tourism statistics published by the National Statistics Office of Georgia on Monday show.
Western Georgia’s Kutaisi International Airport saw a record-high passenger flow last month, serving 189,166 passengers - a 123 percent increase compared to the same month of the pre-pandemic year of 2019, the United Airports of Georgia said on Wednesday.
Georgian airports served more than 1.4 million passengers in the second quarter of 2023, which is an increase by 41.1 percent compared to the same period of last year, data from the National Statistics Office of Georgia shows.
A total of 697,800 Georgian resident travellers took a trip outside of the country in the second quarter of 2023, with most of the visits being made to Turkey (236,700) and Russia (79,900), the latest data from the National Statistics Office of Georgia shows.
Western Georgia's Kutaisi International Airport on Sunday welcomed its millionth passenger for the first time in one year, with Deputy Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili greeting the passenger with various gifts, who arrived in Kutaisi Airport from the German city Frankfurt by Hungarian budget airline Wizz Air.