The suspension of Georgia’s visa-free regime with the European Union could have serious consequences for the country’s tourism industry, including the possible shutdown of Kutaisi International Airport, warns Tsotne Japaridze, founder of the travel company Traffic Travel Georgia.
Speaking on BMGTV, Japaridze said the risk of visa liberalization being revoked is growing more real by the day, especially if Georgia fails to implement the European Commission’s recommendations by the end of August.
“This would be a major blow to the country, not just politically, but economically,” said Japaridze. “Kutaisi Airport’s future could be at serious risk.”
The airport’s operations are heavily tied to Wizz Air, a budget airline whose Georgian business model relies predominantly on Georgian travelers flying to European destinations. Japaridze explained that if visa-free travel is suspended, fewer citizens will be able to travel, directly affecting Wizz Air’s profitability and by extension, the viability of the airport itself.
“Wizz Air's presence in Georgia primarily depends on Georgians flying to Europe, followed by European tourists visiting Georgia,” he said. “If that number drops, the airline might scale back operations, which would endanger the airport’s future.”
Japaridze also highlighted the wider impact of such a move, pointing to the entire tourism industry, from outbound tour operators and hotels to transport companies, that would suffer as a result.
He recalled the pre-2017 period, when Georgians had to undergo lengthy and expensive visa procedures to travel, work, or seek medical treatment in the EU. “The new generation doesn’t remember what it means to wait in visa lines. Losing visa-free travel would mean going back in time—every trip, whether for business, health, or even to support our favorite athletes like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, would become more expensive and bureaucratic.”
He emphasized that many Georgian families depend on short-term work opportunities in Europe made possible by visa liberalization. These include people working abroad in shifts to maintain legal status while sending remittances - now a key source of foreign currency, especially as foreign direct investment has declined.
Japaridze concluded by sharply criticizing the political motivations behind the current crisis, claiming that the interests of one man, Bidzina Ivanishvili, are being placed above those of the entire country.
“Visa liberalization is one of the greatest achievements of Georgia’s independence,” he said. “And now, it’s being put at risk for the benefit of a single individual. Whether we’re left-wing or right-wing, visa-free travel benefits all citizens. Sacrificing it is a betrayal of the nation’s future.”
