The tourist facility Step-Inn in Kazbegi has reported that last year’s main visitor flows came from India, Russia, and Israel.
In an interview with BM.GE, Step-Inn founder Ana Alibegashvili noted that during the off-season, when prices are relatively lower, the number of local guests also increases.
“Over the past month, about 60% of our visitors were Georgians. As for foreign guests, most are from India, followed by Russia and Israel, while European tourists, particularly Germans, come in smaller numbers,” Alibegashvili said. She also noted that in 2024, Saudi Arabia was the leading market in terms of sales.
Regarding Asian tourists, she emphasized that their spending capacity is generally low due to the economic situation in their home countries. “Their interests are mainly not activity-based, especially in mountainous regions. They rarely ski, go mountain climbing. Paragliding is the most popular activity, but even that does not attract a large number of visitors,” she said.
Alibegashvili added that Indian guests tend to prefer dishes from their home country or eat at Indian restaurants and show limited interest in local authentic cuisine.
As for future development, Step-Inn does not plan short- or medium-term expansions. “The current situation in the country does not allow us to consider additional investment or expansion. The main issue is a shortage of staff. Even though salaries are above average, interest remains low, so we are not planning expansion in the near term. Of course, we have long-term plans,” the Step-Inn founder said.
