“The openness of international tourism largely depends not only on us being ready to receive visitors, but also on the countries with whom we can cooperate with regards to exchanging tourists” – Tamar Kaikatsishvili, First Deputy Chairwoman of the Department of Tourism of Adjara.
Tourism has become one of the most sensitive sectors in the global economy during the Covid-19 pandemic. Industry experts predict that the recovery process will be slow. It will initially depend on domestic tourism, while international air travel will be limited. Each country is working on its own strategy to exit from the crisis. What is happening in Georgia? More specifically, what is happening in Batumi and the Adjara region, which had become an attractive destination for foreign tourists in recent years? Property Georgia spoke to the First Deputy Chairwoman of the Department of Tourism of Adjara, Tamar Kaikatsishvili.
- What will 2021 be like for Batumi and the wider Adjara region?
- The current epidemiological situation in Batumi and the wider Adjara region gives us the grounds to think about positioning Adjara as a safe tourist destination. However, the policy for opening up tourism is a careful one. It depends entirely on how the epidemiological situation develops. At this stage, restaurants with outdoor spaces and hotels in Georgia are open. International flights are also gradually being restored. We can currently say that the 60 hotels in Batumi are ready to receive guests. We are mainly talking about domestic tourists right now, but the positive moves that are being made towards resuming flights, opening up the hotels and operating outdoor spaces in restaurants allows us to hope that tourism will slowly and carefully reopen.
We are currently talking about domestic tourism. All international organisations responsible for tourism, including the World Tourism Organization, are openly calling on countries to actively concentrate on domestic travel and approach international tourism with care. The openness of international tourism largely depends not only on us being ready to receive visitors, but also on the countries with whom we can cooperate with regards to exchanging tourists. We are carefully observing our target countries and international partners. We will act in accordance with the specific decisions taken in those countries.
- Despite the challenges, are the forecasts positive compared to last year?
- Like last year, travelers will once again concentrate on safe tourism. Our country and our region have accumulated a lot of experience in maintaining safety norms, offering safe tourist services and managing the epidemiological situation. Adjara also stands out through the diversity of its tourist products. Visitors are offered a broad choice of products in areas such as eco tourism, adventure, highland and seaside tourism. Coronavirus prevention standards have been implemented in up to 300 tourist facilities, which is a prerequisite for safe tourism. This year we will be offering our domestic and foreign visitors new products and activities in Highland Adjara.
- What is the current situation with regards to flights to Batumi? Air travel is a crucial factor for tourism.
- As I mentioned earlier, flights are gradually resuming across the country. Tbilisi is already offering flights to 14 destinations. A protocol has been devised for countries from which tourists can come to Georgia. Generally speaking, resumption of flights and international travel as a whole will depend on the epidemiological situation here and elsewhere. Naturally, there are plans to gradually resume air travel in Batumi as well.
- Which countries are you focussing on?
- At this stage, we are focussing on the countries of the Gulf – Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE, as well as Germany and Israel. The current epidemiological situation and vaccination process in these countries will allow us to receive visitors from there. However, at this point there are restrictions on flights and travel in place in these countries, so we are waiting for developments to this end.
- When would you expect to see a return to the 2019 figures?
- In recent years we had growing numbers of flights and visitors alike. In Adjara, we had record figures in 2019, welcoming 2,002,540 visitors, which is 3.7% more than in the previous year. The situation changed radically in 2020. The World Tourism Organization estimates that global tourism has been set back by approximately 25 years. This is a serious blow, and it will take a lot of effort for everything to recover. Hower, the World Tourism Organization itself expects gradual recovery in global tourism to begin from 2022, when the pandemic ends. It is difficult to say exactly when we can return to previous figures, but by following the current strategy and taking the right steps, we can move in the right direction. We have a good starting position with regards to pandemic control and awareness, allowing us to expect a return to the previous levels of tourism within five years.
- Batumi was once again named as a top European resort in 2020. What does this mean for the city?
- Foremost of all, this is a recognition of the international projects, marketing and awareness campaigns that we carried out in the region over the previous years. It will also allow us to recover at a fast pace. Apart from being named Europe’s top emerging destination, Batumi, together with Tbilisi, was listed among the safest tourist spots by the popular travel platform European Best Destinations.
