Svaneti's tourism market has shifted dramatically, with Chinese visitors replacing European tourists as the region's largest source market, according to Levan Dadvani, owner of Lahili Hotel in Mestia. Despite strong occupancy during the peak summer season, he says tourist spending has dropped significantly.
Speaking to BMGTV, Dadvani said Asian tourists generally pay for accommodation but spend little on other services such as restaurants, guides, or horse-riding tours. He added that many visitors from Asia even bring their own food, reducing demand for hotel dining.
"The hotels are full, but spending power has declined. Their main interest is staying at the hotel and taking photos. They spend very little on anything else, and many arrive with their own food," Dadvani said.
Looking ahead to the winter season, Dadvani noted that bookings have already begun, but expressed concern that Asian demand is much weaker for ski tourism. He said winter visitors traditionally come from Europe and post-Soviet countries, where skiing is more deeply rooted, warning that the loss of the European alpine tourism segment raises uncertainty for the coming season.
