There were always lots of tourists in Abkhazia, except during the war. For the older generation, it was a habit. For the younger generation, Abkhazia provided a romantic environment – trench warfare occurred near this heavenly place. Low costs added much to the popularity of Abkhazia. Everybody criticized the quality of service, and everybody went to Abkhazia.
Recently, the situation has started to change. People who could remember Soviet Abkhazia become fewer; political stabilization made Abkhazia a resort of a less extreme sort and prices rose. Fruits and vegetables are even more expensive than in Moscow. Service quality is poor. Prices mismatch quality.
Moreover, the pedestrian bridge across the River Psou has been closed. So in summer all traffic and pedestrians will pass across the road bridge. However, the Abkhazian authorities are going to solve this problem through railroad and maritime transport.
Many Abkhazians earn their living in the tourism industry. There is a hope that, instead of beach recreation, excursions will become the main Abkhazian tourist feature. In Abkhazia, many sacred Christian places are well-preserved.
New hotels have been opened and free detailed maps of Abkhazia have appeared on the internet.
Nevertheless, few people know about it. The flow of negative data is far stronger than that of the positive.
Ekaterina Tessemnikova, exclusively to VK
