2024-09-27
The theme of this year's World Tourism Day is tourism and peace, and these two concepts are closely connected. I am pleased that today Georgia is the host of a meeting of outstanding representatives from the tourism sector, stated the Prime Minister of Georgia in his speech delivered at the event celebrating World Tourism Day.
The Head of Government of Georgia congratulated each representative of the sector on World Tourism Day. He emphasized that this year's theme is tourism and peace, highlighting that peace is essential for the development of tourism and the promotion of travel worldwide.
"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," noted Irakli Kobakhidze.
According to him, peace policy is the 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.
"We are the only government under which there has been no war in Georgia for over a decade, and we are doing everything we can to ensure that this continues in the future. Today marks exactly 31 years since the fall of Sokhumi and I want to emphasize that our peace policy is also an indispensable condition for reconciliation with our Abkhaz and Ossetian brothers and sisters, for restoring trust and mutual respect, and for the unification of our country. We hope that this policy will soon yield results that will be equally beneficial for all citizens living on this land-Georgians, Abkhazians, Ossetians alike. In particular, we expect that tourism will bring great benefits to every citizen living in these beautiful regions of our country," added the Prime Minister of Georgia.
Irakli Kobakhidze noted that Georgia ranks among the leading countries in the tourism sector despite existing competition. He stated that tourism is one of the most important driving forces for economic development and facilitating its greater growth is a priority for Georgia.
"Georgia has a long-standing successful collaboration with the World Tourism Organization, which is becoming increasingly fruitful. The new trends and policies for tourism development in Georgia are based on the principles of sustainable development and contribute actively to achieving sustainable development goals. In this process, the effective use of our rich natural and cultural resources is of particular importance. Our country has been a member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization since 1993, and in 2021 Georgia became a member of the organization's Executive Council for the first time for a four-year term. This is an excellent opportunity for us to participate in shaping the organization's development policies," stated the Prime Minister of Georgia.
The Head of Government of Georgia highlighted the tangible results that the country has achieved in tourism sustainability despite many challenges facing the world. He emphasized that these successes are a direct outcome of implementing effective policies for sustainable tourism development.
"Revenue from tourism amounted to 4.1 billion USD in 2023. This is a historic figure for Georgia, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 26.2%. Additionally, 2019 figures have been restored by 76%, with Georgia hosting 7.1 million international travelers. 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%, reaching 4.5 billion USD. Georgian international airports will serve up to 6.8 million passengers, a 14% 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. Tourism plays a significant role in strengthening trust, establishing peace, and fostering the development of nations. 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," concluded the Prime Minister of Georgia.
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, Georgia hosted World Tourism Day for the first time, with delegations from over 40 countries participating in the related events. The celebration took place at the Paragraph Hotel in Tbilisi and was attended by representatives from the executive and legislative authorities, as well as members of the diplomatic corps and the businesses from the private sector.
Press Service of the Government Administration