CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD published a report on Batumi hospitality market. According to the report, in the post-pandemic period, the confidence of international travelers is quite low. Despite the Georgian government's readiness to open county’s borders on 1 st of July and restore international air traffic, it is still unclear which airports flight will be operated from, in what direction and how frequently.
Additionally, expected regulations in the aviation sector may limit the number of passengers travelling in a single vessel, which will undercut affordability of some airlines and may reduce demand on traveling to certain destinations. Whether Batumi will be one such destination remains to be seen.
Batumi International Airport is one of the most important sources of international visitors’ inflow to the Adjara region. According to the surveyed hoteliers, the future operation of the hotels mainly depends on the restoration of flights. Batumi International Airport has been becoming more and more active over the years; the number of served passengers has been increasing in cue. If in 2018 the airport served 617,373 passengers by direct or chartered flights, this number increased by 29.3% in 2019 i.e. the airport served 873,616 passengers. As of February 2020, Batumi International Airport operated 20 direct flights a week to four destinations (Istanbul, Kiev, Minsk, and Tel Aviv) through seven airlines (Turkish Airlines, Flex Flights, Yan Air, Belavia, Georgian Airways, Elal, Skyup).
