Paata Kokaia, founder of the hotel chain Inn Group, says European tourists are the most valuable visitors for Georgia, citing their higher spending and cultural proximity. Speaking to TV Program Business Course, Kokaia said tourist arrivals from EU countries have increased by approximately 23%, with double-digit growth recorded across almost all European markets.
Although only Germany and Poland rank among the top 15 countries by visitor arrivals to Georgia, National Bank of Georgia data show that the EU and the United Kingdom generated the country’s highest tourism revenues this year. Revenue from these markets increased by 29%, making Europe a particularly important source of tourism income.
Kokaia noted that many European visitors are older travellers, including pensioners, who tend to spend more and share cultural similarities with Georgia. He said European tourists meet the industry’s expectations for higher-value tourism, adding that Japanese and South Korean visitors are also comparable in this regard.
Meanwhile, tourism revenues from Russia increased by 14.5% this year, according to the National Bank. In contrast, revenues from Iran fell by 21% and from Saudi Arabia by 33%, declines attributed in the report to the regional war. The figures highlight the growing importance of European markets for Georgia’s tourism sector.
