Georgian Deputy Economy Minister emphasises “dialogue and peace” for tourism at World Tourism Day event

Mariam Kvrivishvili, the Deputy Economy Minister of Georgia, on Friday emphasised the “necessity of dialogue and peace”, stressing their “unconditional importance” for tourism, during her speech at the World Tourism Day event running in Tbilisi.

Addressing the audience for the event running under the theme Tourism and Peace, Kvrivishvili stressed the value of “cultural exchange, harmony, and respect” in the tourism sector, emphasising the role of tourism in connecting people and cultures.

We are a nation that considers peace to be more important than just a concept. This is the defence of our country, our dignity, our freedom. We are a nation that knows very well the price of peace, and we also believe that only with peace will we be able to unite our sisters and brothers from the occupied territories of our country, and together we will start building a prosperous future”, Kvrivishvili said.

Later, the Deputy Minister participated in a panel discussion entitled Building Bridges through Tourism, where she talked about the role of tourism in the process of establishing peace.

Each of us in Georgia knows very well the price of freedom and peace - we can tell you that a part of our country's territory is still occupied by Russia”, Kvrivishvili said, adding the country had ensured “peace and stable development” in the last 12 years, calling it a “significant achievement”.

The Deputy Minister noted existing stability had given small and medium businesses the opportunity to “develop, grow, create new industries, and jobs”.

We understand everything starts with peace and stability, and everything else is based on that. However, citizens must be free. We are a democratic country, so it is crucial that everyone has freedom of expression and speech”, she said.

Our esteemed guests saw how our ancestral city is structured. You can see that there is a synagogue next to a Christian church and a mosque nearby. I think this is a great example of how Georgia has developed over the years. We unite people of different nationalities and beliefs, making Georgia a connecting bridge between Europe and Asia”, Kvrivishvili added.

Georgia is hosting World Tourism Day for the first time, with speakers discussing trends in industry development for the event involving government officials, representatives of international organisations and the sector from around the world.

The decision to grant the country the hosting right was unanimously approved by 38 members of the European Commission of the WTO in 2023.