According to the results of a visitor satisfaction monitoring survey conducted by the Agency of Protected Areas of Georgia, the main motivation for 39% of visitors to Georgia’s protected areas is hiking in nature.
In the first seven months of 2025, the protected areas received 662,205 visitors, the majority of whom (54%) were foreign nationals. Among international visitors, the largest numbers came from Poland, Israel, Russia, India, and Belarus. Overall, the number of visitors increased by 20%.
The Agency notes that the motivations and interests for visiting Georgia’s protected areas are diverse. According to the survey, the main purposes of visits are:
- Hiking in the wilderness (39%),
- Learning about biodiversity (30%),
- Exploring cultural heritage (11%),
- Recreation (11%),
- Scientific activities (3%)
Among tour types, visitors prefer hiking routes. Half of the visitors travel with friends, 43% with family, and 7% travel alone.
“These figures confirm that the protected areas attract not only nature and active leisure enthusiasts, but also those interested in cultural heritage and scientific research,” the Agency emphasized.
Official statistics show that the most visited sites are Prometheus Cave, Martvili Canyon, Sataplia, Tsalka Canyon, and Okatse Canyon.
It is noteworthy that, according to IUCN criteria, there are currently 100 protected areas in Georgia, divided into six categories: 14 state reserves, 15 national parks, 40 natural monuments, 25 managed reserves, 5 protected landscapes, and 1 multiple-use area.As of 2024, the total area of protected territories amounted to 927,748 hectares, which is about 13.3% of Georgia’s territory.According to the Agency, 17 projects are currently underway across 12 protected areas in the country. These projects aim to develop and rehabilitate hiking trail networks and install related small-scale infrastructure.
