Tourism in Borjomi is in an extremely poor state, according to Aleksi Gogoladze, owner of the family hotel Tamarioni. He told BM.GE that all three properties under his management are currently completely empty. Despite offering rooms for as little as 50 GEL, he says not a single guest is arriving. “A 19-room hotel is at zero occupancy. They say on TV that tourism is thriving - where exactly is it thriving?” he remarked.
Gogoladze says the situation has worsened year after year, with 2025 being particularly difficult due to drastically reduced tourist flows. All three of his facilities remained largely unoccupied throughout the year, indicating a clear downward trend rather than growth.
Even the New Year period, typically a strong season for Borjomi, showed only around 10% occupancy, with most visitors coming from Armenia and Azerbaijan. Georgian tourists were almost completely absent. “I’ve worked in tourism for 15 years, and I’ve never seen a New Year like this in Borjomi. This was the worst period,” he said, adding that full reopening of regional borders is crucial for recovery.
According to Gogoladze, talk of tourism development does not reflect reality. He argues that tourism cannot be measured solely by the number of flights, especially when visitors from certain markets spend very little locally. “What difference does it make if there are four or five flights from India or Arab countries if those tourists don’t spend money and don’t stay in hotels? Borders are being closed, and at the same time they talk about tourism development - it’s unacceptable,” he stated.
