Several hotels in Tbilisi report that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is negatively affecting Georgia’s business tourism sector. According to the General Manager of Golden Tulip Design Tbilisi, March, typically one of the most active months for corporate events, has seen widespread cancellations.
Elene Otarashvili told BMG that a significant share of corporate bookings for conferences, workshops and business meetings has been canceled by clients from Israel, Arab countries and Europe. She notes that both the geopolitical instability in the region and recent flight restrictions on certain routes have sharply reduced inbound business travel. “In our hotel alone, business tourism losses for the month amount to roughly 30%,” she said.
European corporate groups, she explained, are particularly cautious about traveling to destinations classified as “risk zones.” With the region around Georgia currently perceived as unstable, many companies are avoiding travel altogether. “Whenever there is unrest nearby, European countries immediately suspend travel,” Otarashvili noted.
The impact is especially painful because the sector had just passed through the low winter season and expected March to bring a strong recovery. “We had very high hopes and solid bookings for this month, which makes the loss even more critical. We are not touching April yet - we hope this situation is temporary and conditions will improve soon,” she added.
