The FINANCIAL — “The murder of French citizen Stephan Cohen won’t influence tourism in Georgia,” Maia Sidamonidze Head of the Department of Tourism and Resorts, told The FINANCIAL. “These kinds of crimes happen throughout the world unfortunately, but it won’t be reflected in tourist numbers,” she said.
On January 27, Stephan Cohen was found dead with multiple knife wounds in his room on the 3rd floor at the hotel Courtyard Marriot, Tbilisi. He was an engineer at French company Systra and came to Tbilisi several days before. An under-age suspect was arrested at the end of the day near his house. The suspect pleads guilty. As he says he inflicted multiple stab wounds after the conflict, stole three mobile phones, a camera and a portable computer from the hotel room and ran away.
The investigation was launched under article 108.
According to the hotel video footage, the suspect left the hotel via the terrace from Stephan Cohen’s room, tied a sheet to the balcony of the building next to the hotel and climbed down on to Leonidze Street. The unit is controlled by video camera. The hotel administration commented that no stranger could enter the room without the guest’s consent. Stephan Cohen’s body was transferred to France on January 28. Representatives of the Embassy of France were in the prosectorium on Asatiani Street, spoke to medical experts for 30 minutes but have not yet commented to journalists.
The crime situation report by Overseas Security Advisory Council updated in 2010 is especially critical of Georgia. After the august 2008 war such travel advice does allegedly have a negative impact on tourism development in Georgia.
British Journalist Barney Spender, who has visited Georgia several times, shares Mrs. Sidamonidze’s view that such crimes happens everywhere. As he says this fact doesn’t put him off coming back to Tbilisi: “As for tourism, I think it is the same story,” said Spender. ”Unless we find that this was someone or a group deliberately targeting west Europeans then I don’t think anyone will be too concerned. If it becomes a regular occurrence then yes we might think again. But for the moment, I think Georgia is ok.”
Country specific information provided by some of the foreign embassies in Georgia is comprised of outrageous warnings. Some of them report a threat from terrorism in Georgia. UK Embassy experts included Tbilisi’s most prestigious district Vake and almost all of the main tourist areas of Tbilisi as the most “dangerous” areas.
According to recent warning reports issued by the UK Embassy in Georgia (updated on 19 July 2010), “there is an underlying threat from terrorism in Georgia. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers”.
Travel to Georgia is not recommended by the U.S. Embassy in Georgia either.
“I can’t compare this murder to the war,” said the Head of the Department of Tourism and Resorts. The war was for political reasons and connected to serious crimes. It was not safe even for Georgians to move around inside the country at the time.
Russia, Columbia, Mexico and South Africa are among the top most dangerous countries in the world. The Intentional Homicide Rate in Georgia is on the same level as in the U.S. According to Forbes Magazine, the most dangerous country in the world is Afghanistan. The Daily Mail wrote that the UK is bellow all European countries and the U.S. nationmaster.com claims that Georgia’s homicide rate is below that of Lithuania, Latvia, and Ukraine.
According to Maps of World, a popular website offering digital maps and statistics of countries with the highest reported crime rates, it clearly indicates that countries of Europe and America are the least safe countries in the world. Asia, even though not that economically sound, is far safer compared to the ten countries listed on the map. The United States with 11,877,218 is the most unsafe country in this list while India, with 1,764,630, is the safest, according to Maps of World.
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