Chinese Ambassador: visa-free travel, direct flights drive 44% rise in Chinese tourists to Georgia

Zhou Qian, China's Ambassador to Georgia, announced on Saturday that Georgia welcomed 128,000 Chinese tourists in 2024, marking a 44% increase from the previous year. He attributed the growth to visa-free travel and the introduction of direct flights, while emphasising the substantial untapped potential for expanding tourism cooperation between the two countries.

In an interview with Imedi TV, Zhou emphasised that these developments have made travel more convenient and are strengthening tourism cooperation between the two countries, a sector he said holds significant potential for further growth.

“The positive results of visa-free travel and direct flights between China and Georgia are becoming increasingly evident. The number of Chinese tourists in Georgia has increased significantly. Last year, Georgia received 128,000 Chinese tourists, which is 44% more compared to the previous year”, he said.

The Ambassador noted that Georgia stands out for its magnificent natural landscapes, rich history and culture, and warm hospitality.

“Cooperation in tourism between China and Georgia has even greater potential. Compared to some popular European destinations, Georgia’s popularity among Chinese tourists should increase further. Participation in international exhibitions such as ITB provides an excellent opportunity for this. During the exhibition, on Chinese social media platforms such as RedNote and Weibo, I saw many photos posted by Chinese internet users enjoying Georgian cuisine and wine and watching traditional Georgian dances. As a result, even more users expressed a desire to visit this beautiful country as soon as possible”, Zhou noted.

He also mentioned China’s readiness to support training programmes for Georgian tourism professionals and to collaborate on creating high-quality tourism products.

“In order to promote tourism cooperation between the two countries, in addition to inviting Georgia to exhibitions, China also invites Georgian personnel to participate in training related to tourism promotion and other relevant fields”, he stressed.

With Chinese outbound tourism continuing to expand under the 15th Five-Year Plan, Zhou expressed confidence that Georgia can attract even more visitors and strengthen its image as the “back garden of God” in the Chinese market.

“Last year, Chinese citizens made more than 130 million outbound trips abroad. With the full implementation of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, demand for outbound tourism from Chinese citizens is expected to increase further. We are ready to encourage tourism agencies and professionals from both countries to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, produce more high-quality tourism products, and make Georgia’s reputation as the back garden of God even more visible in China”, Zhou concluded.