If direct flights from Abu Dhabi to Georgia are not restored, the tourism sector could face serious financial challenges, warns Lasha Berekashvili, founder of the travel company Travel To Georgia. In an interview with BM.GE, he said that the absence of this route would force tourism businesses to significantly reduce prices in order to cover their expenses.
According to Berekashvili, tourists arriving from Gulf countries make up a significant share of their clientele, around 30% during the summer and up to 70% in the winter season. These visitors mainly arrived via the Abu Dhabi flight, making its suspension especially damaging for tourism companies. “If enough rooms are not sold and tours are not booked, we will no longer have the resources to lower prices. Eventually, rates will drop to a level where we can only cover expenses, and beyond that, facilities will go bankrupt and close,” he explained.
The company founder rejected claims that the decline in tourist numbers is linked to a deterioration in service quality. “If we compare ratings on Booking.com, Tripadvisor, and Airbnb, we’ll see that the ratings have remained consistent with the period when demand was high. This clearly shows that the problem lies not in quality, but in the decrease of tourist flows,” said Berekashvili.
He added that price adjustments have already begun across the sector. The average hotel room price has dropped from GEL 160 to GEL 130, while tour packages that previously cost $400–450 are now being sold for around $300. According to him, if the Abu Dhabi flight is not restored soon, the impact on Georgia’s tourism industry could deepen in the coming months.
