The flow of foreign tourists to Georgia is growing by 35-40% annually. This was stated by First Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Irakli Matkava in a speech at the first hotel investment conference for the CIS and Georgia (iCON) in Baku, Trend reports today.
The conference, organized by the consulting firm HVS, was held on 18-19 September in Baku and was dedicated to the regional development of the hotel industry and the investment climate, as well as other issues relevant to the industry.
"In 2011, Georgia was visited by 2.8 million people; the country earned about $ 1 billion from the tourism sector in the past year. In the Soviet period Georgia was visited by six million people," Matkava said.
According to government forecasts, 3.65 million tourists will visit Georgia in 2012, rising to 4.92 million in 2013.
However, according to him the standard of the hotels do not correspond to this trend.
"The State shall endeavor to create the most favorable conditions for the number of tourists to grow. We are simplifying the procedures for entry into the country. Georgia has abolished visa arrangements with 80 countries, 40 countries' citizens can get a visa at the border in five to ten minutes," Matkava said.
According to him, conditions for foreign investors in the tourism sector have become easier, including the establishment of a very free tax regime.
"One of the key factors driving investment in the tourism sector of Georgia is authorized gambling. If you look at the region, in all the neighboring countries this is prohibited. Georgia is also very interested in the development of wine tourism," Matkava noted.
