Tourism Administration Head: families “first points of contact” with Georgia for visitors

Maia Omiadze, the Head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration, on Thursday emphasised the role of families in the country as “first points of contact with Georgia, with travel and with our calling card - hospitality”, in comments for the announcement of Mziskari, a project aimed at boosting domestic gastronomy tourism by offering “authentic dining experiences” to visitors.

The initiative involves participating families across Georgia hosting visitors and offering them highlights of local cuisine.

The main attraction of this project is the family. Nowhere else will you feel the kind of special hospitality during your travels in the regions that you do when you are a local family’s guest”, Omiadze said.

In her interview with Imedi TV, she highlighted gastronomy as a “major component of tourism products”, adding the Government was “devoting a lot of time, energy and budget” to promoting gasto-tourism internationally.

The GNTA said the goal of the project was to foster the development of a “new, niche offering” in gastro tourism and unite host families across the country that would offer guests not only dishes specific to their regions but also “provide an authentic, family environment where they can become familiar with local hospitality customs”.

Visitors will also be encouraged to participate in preparation of dishes while visiting the families.