Suspending Georgia’s visa-free regime with the European Union would significantly damage the country’s international image and threaten the tourism sector, warns Giorgi Dartsimelia, associate guide and founder of the travel company "Queen Tamada".
In an interview on the BMG TV, Dartsimelia criticized recent remarks by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, who said that visa-free travel is not an “existential issue”, calling them “irresponsible” and harmful to Georgia’s national interests.
“The visa-free regime is one of the greatest gifts the EU has made to Georgia,” Dartsimelia stated. “Maintaining it is vital. Those who claim otherwise are being irresponsible. It’s dangerous to frame this as a matter of sovereignty—it’s not.”
According to Dartsimelia, ending the visa-free travel agreement would decrease Georgia’s appeal to tourists, especially from the EU, and lead to a downturn in a service sector that employs a large portion of the population.
“The suspension would mean a decline in Georgia’s status both politically and economically. In terms of tourism, we would see a sharp drop in attractiveness. For a country so dependent on services and tourism, that would be disastrous.”
He noted that Georgia is already seeing a drop in tourist groups from EU countries—an alarming trend that contradicts official government statistics.
“Groups were canceled last year, and there’s a shortage this year too. Based on our own data, visits from the EU have decreased significantly. Georgia should be focusing on this market, not turning away from it.”
Dartsimelia emphasized that the economic consequences would go beyond tourism. A drop in foreign currency inflows could lead to inflation, higher prices on basic goods, and potential tax increases.
“If foreign currency stops coming in, the state will need to make up the loss. That means increased taxes or local price hikes, which will hit citizens hard.”
The debate follows growing pressure from Brussels. On July 15, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas announced that the Georgian government has until August 31 to meet the European Commission’s conditions to maintain visa liberalization. The EU suspended visa-free travel for Georgian diplomatic passport holders in January, citing fundamental rights concerns, and could invoke Article 8 of the Visa Suspension Mechanism if compliance is not met.
