Nino Namgaladze, founder of travel company Via Travel, warns that suspending visa liberalization for Georgian citizens would significantly increase the cost of traveling to Europe.
Speaking on BMGTV’s Women’s Narrative, she emphasized that visa-free travel had given people the freedom to plan trips affordably, often booking flights months in advance. A return to visa requirements would add costs and restrictions.
“With visa liberalization suspended, travel will become much more expensive, starting with visa fees and extending to airfare,” she said.
Namgaladze noted that Schengen visa applications can be made only 6 months in advance, which limits flexibility and eliminates access to the cheapest flight deals.
“Some will manage the higher costs, but many won’t be able to travel at all due to visa barriers,” she added.
As for alternatives, Namgaladze explained that while Georgia has visa-free agreements with several Asian countries, those destinations remain costly due to long-distance flights.
“You won’t find EUR 50 tickets to Asia, those trips are expensive no matter what,” she said.
Georgia has until the end of August to implement necessary reforms to retain its visa-free status with the EU.
