Number of Visitors Increased by 24% Compared to Previous Year

The FINANCIAL — Vice Prime Minister of Georgia, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Dimitry Kumsishvili held a briefing on statistical data regarding the international travelers coming to Georgia.

According to the data, the statistics of February shows that compared to the previous year, the number of travelers is increased by 24%. At the same time, the number of visitor who stay in the country for more than 24 hours has also increased by 19% compared to the February of the previous year.

Positive trend of increasing the number of visitors from the EU countries is still maintained. Number of travelers has significantly increased from Italy (+29%), France (+29%), the UK (+14%), Poland (+12%) and Germany (+7%).

As the Vice Prime Minister, Dimitry Kumsishvili said, this is the result of the active work of Georgian Government on the target markets.

In February 2016, the majority of visitors were from Azerbaijan (+41.9%), Turkey (+12.2%), Armenia (+7.5%), Russia (+29.2%) and Ukraine (+23.5%). Number of travelers from Iran (+80.1%), Belarus (+30.3%) and the United States (+20.5%) is also significantly increased.

Total number of international travelers amounts to 683,561 people while the increase is 13.9%. Number of tourists amounted to 236,584 and the increase is 11.2% compared to the same period of the previous year. 

In February 2016, compared to last year, there is a surplus in the number of international travelers amounting to 70 000 which results in up to 42 million GEL additional income into the country’s economy. 

In January 2016, 141 843 passengers were transported with regular as well as irregular flights. This data is by 14.35% increased compared to the same period of the 2015 and by almost 15% compared to the data of 2014.

Georgian Vice Prime Minister also spoke about the new component of the state program Produce in Georgia – Host in Georgia. Within the frames of the new component, interested entrepreneur will be enabled to build a hotel in any region of Georgia, except Tbilisi and Batumi, with the state co-financing as well as to re-equip and widen existing infrastructure, conclude agreement on franchising with world-know leaders and bring them to Georgian market, according to Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia.