Georgia has limited capacity to host large international congresses, ODA DMC founder Vika Sharia said on the TV program Women’s Narrative. She said events can be hosted across several hotels, but the country lacks suitable venues for congresses with 700–1,000 delegates.
“I see that Azerbaijan is 10–15 years ahead of us. We do not even have a basic exhibition center and cannot accommodate delegations of more than 500 people in one hotel. We do not have the spaces needed for congresses with 700, 800 or 1,000 participants,” Sharia said.
She also identified air connectivity as a challenge for business tourism. Low flight frequency from some markets and inconvenient schedules on certain European routes make Georgia less attractive to companies.
“On Russian-speaking markets, for example, there are far more flights to Yerevan than to Georgia. Azerbaijan also has a significantly higher flight frequency. Another major issue is that flights from Europe are mainly at night. When European companies compare Tbilisi with destinations such as Athens or Dubrovnik, Tbilisi immediately drops off the shortlist because of the flight schedules,” she said.
