Tourist numbers in Gudauri remain stable, but changes in visitor spending are affecting hotel revenues. According to Irakli Eristavi, manager of the Quadrum Hotel in Gudauri, the resort has recently seen more group tours, whose visitors tend to spend less outside their accommodation.
“Tourists who came here in the past generally had greater spending power. Now, most visitors arrive in groups. We used to see much higher food and beverage revenues in our restaurant, but the situation in this regard is now very poor. Some tourists stay in their rooms, eat at the hotel, or buy something from a local shop, which naturally affects our business,” Eristavi told BM.GE.
He said that during the summer, most of Quadrum’s guests came from Israel, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Russia, and other Russian-speaking countries, while European visitors accounted for approximately 5%. The hotel’s current occupancy rate is around 30%, while advance bookings for the New Year period have already reached 50–60%, with most reservations coming from international guests.
Eristavi also highlighted the need for better infrastructure and marketing to develop Gudauri’s summer tourism season. He said the resort needs more walking paths and operational summer activities, including mountain biking trails, which could help attract European visitors. Meanwhile, Quadrum plans to expand its accommodation capacity. The hotel currently has 22 rooms and aims to add another 10–20, although no specific timeline has been announced.
