Irakli Gurchiani, the founder of Hotel Gistola located in Mestia, says that the most important issue for turning Svaneti into a winter resort is the road. Talking to BMG, Gurchiani says that in light of the at least 10-hour road, the business cannot expect a flow of tourists, especially since the supply of electricity and internet remains a problem in the region even in the winter season for 2023.
"We are preparing for the winter season, but there are no reservations yet. It takes 12 hours to get from Tbilisi by bus, 5 hours from Kutaisi, therefore, until the tunnel from Kutaisi to Svaneti is not built, it is very difficult to consider Svaneti as a winter resort. Planning a tour on such a long road is not a priority for any foreign travel agency. Imagine if a person leaves for 3 days, he has to be on the road for two days.
Svaneti has a huge potential if the tunnel project is implemented, but it is suspended at this stage. If it is done, the business will no longer need any help from the state. Tbilisi residents also visit Svaneti like Gudauri. If a tunnel is built from Kutaisi to Svaneti, you will be in Mestia within 3 hours, so Svaneti will become a premium resort like Switzerland. In addition, Svaneti still has problmes in electricty and internet", said Irakli Gurchiani.
