Economy Minister: “successful” operation of tourism, airline industries result of “consistent” policy

Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Tuesday highlighted the role of “successful operation” of tourism and airline industries in growth of the domestic economy and said they were outcomes of “planned, consistent” policies of the state.

In a presentation of Georgian tourism and airline sectors’ 2023 summaries and plans for the current year, Davitashvili said the past year had been “particularly successful” for the industry.

The presentation highlighted aspects including:

• Over 7 million international travellers visiting Georgia, including 4.66 million tourist visits (+27.8% y/y growth)
• Revenues from international tourism reaching $4.1 billion (+17.3% y/y)
• Georgia participating in ITB Berlin, a major international tourism fair, as the Host Country
• Large-scale infrastructure projects in Bakuriani (worth ₾300mln) and Gudauri (₾70mln) winter destinations
• Hosting of the 2023 Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships in Bakuriani 
• Bakuriani and Gudauri being marked as permanent hosts in the annual International Ski Federation calendar
• Introduction of nine airline companies and 21 new flights, including six to destinations in Europe

The Ministry of Economy said the presentation also emphasised the importance of the development of the two “crucial sectors” of the economy for the overall economic growth through job creation and enhancement of “prosperity for the population”.

• Georgian PM: int’l tourism revenues to reach $4.5bln, airports to serve 6.8 mln passengers this year

Mariam Kvrivishvili, the Deputy Economy Minister, said the results in tourism and airline industries included “record-high” revenues and “record number of passengers” received at three international airports of the country, and called the numbers “particularly impressive”.

Our goal is to ensure that the growth of the tourism industry reflects the overall welfare and prosperity of our society and its citizens. We aim to strengthen our country's economy by continuing to support tourism, which has proven to be a significant contributor to job creation in all regions, towns, and villages of our nation”, Kvrivishvili said.

The Deputy Minister added Georgia had “very ambitious” plans for the current year to achieve “new success, new historic results and new record data”.