Levan Kokiashvili, head of the Georgian Gastronomy Association explains the reasons why more than 250 representatives of the Georgian HoReCa sector left for Doha. As he declares, the country is getting ready for the World Cup, where new food outlets and tourist facilities are opened, while Georgia is losing qualified staff.

Levan Kokiashvili told TV-program "Business Morning", that the average salary in Doha is USD 2,500, after the necessary expenditures, employees have a salary of USD 1,300, which cannot be earned in the hospitality sector in Georgia.

"Neither service managers nor managing directors have an income of USD 1300 in Georgia, so it is very logical and we should not be surprised that people leave the country. They are struggling, they want a job, more income. They have accumulated debts and loans amid the pandemic when hospitality stopped. That is why I understand why we have this problem today,” said Levan Kokiashvili.

Unemployment is one of the challenges in Georgia. At the same time, businesses are experiencing staff shortages. Companies have a hard time finding a workforce. Representatives of large businesses point out that despite the announcement of vacancies, there is no longer any interest from job seekers. One of the biggest industries that have been hit hard by the staff shortage is the restaurant business due to many reasons, including low pay or violation of employee rights.