Georgian PM highlights “significant” role of tourism in strengthening trust, establishing peace, fostering development of nations

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Friday said the theme of this year’s World Tourism Day was “tourism and peace”, and further added these two concepts were closely connected, noting that “peace policy is our team’s ultimate priority”.

In his speech at the opening ceremony of the World Tourism Day in the capital city of Tbilisi, the Government congratulated each representative of the sector on World Tourism Day.

“I am pleased that today Georgia is the host of a meeting of outstanding representatives from the tourism sector. Peace is essential for the development of tourism and promotion of travel worldwide, as well as for the effective and dynamic growth of the industry. Tourism, in turn, fosters friendly relations among peoples and deepens cultural connections between nations, facilitating the exchange of significant ideas and new initiatives. For this reason, it is one of the main factors in ensuring peace in the world”, the PM said.

Kobakhidze further highlighted the peace-focused policy as his Government’s top priority, serving as an indispensable condition for reconciliation with Abkhaz and Ossetian “brothers and sisters”, as well as for restoring trust and mutual respect, and for the unification of the country.

He further stressed that the Government had maintained peace for over a decade and was committed to ensuring it continues.

“Today marks 31 years since the fall of Sukhumi. Our peace policy is key to reconciliation and restoring trust between Georgians, Abkhazians, and Ossetians”, he added, expressing hope that tourism will soon benefit all citizens of Georgia, particularly in the Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia).

The Prime Minister highlighted Georgia’s significant achievements in tourism sustainability and the importance of collaborating with the World Tourism Organization.

“Our country has been a member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization since 1993, and in 2021 Georgia became a member of the organisation’s Executive Council for the first time for a four-year term. This is an excellent opportunity for us to participate in shaping the organisation’s development policies”, Kobakhidze said.

He further noted that tourism generated $4.1 billion in revenue in 2023, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 26.2 percent, with projections of further growth.

“This year, we expect even more impressive improvements, specifically, based on current forecasts, we will welcome 7.9 million international visitors, and tourism revenue is projected to grow by 9 percent, reaching $4.5 billion. Georgian international airports will serve up to 6.8 million passengers, a 14 percent increase compared to last year, driven by the development of Georgia’s tourism potential and active negotiations with airlines, including increasing flight frequencies and attracting new companies to the Georgian aviation market. I believe that through united efforts, timely and pragmatic decision-making and effective policy implementation, we can further develop tourism, which is in the common interest of all”, Kobakhidze concluded.

The event held under the auspices of the United Nations World Tourism Organization was attended by Levan Davitashvili, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia (MOESD), along with Mariam Kvrivishvili, Deputy Minister of MOESD.

The audience was addressed by Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General, as well as by Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, and Aziz Abdukhakimov, Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of Uzbekistan.

This year’s World Tourism Day event, hosted in Georgia for the first time, brought together delegations from over 40 countries and was attended by prominent figures from the public and private sectors, Press Service of the Government Administration reported.