RED-CO General Director Malkhaz Kunelauri told TV-Show Business Course, that COVID restrictions had drastically negative impact on mountain resorts and RED-CO was not an exception. He noted that Georgia was not able to activate domestic tourism either.
"The main part of our infrastructure in Gudauri consists of private residences and apart-hotels. These residences have lots of owners. COVID-restrictions affected each of them, as well as the company. Those COVID-restrictions ban operating of ropeways, one of the most important infrastructures at the ski resorts. Restrictions also apply to foreign tourists and that suffers us”, Kunelauri declares.
According to him, the company does not have a revenue but the expenses are the same.
"All the services that are needed to maintain these buildings due to the climate conditions are still needed, including heating, security, staff storage and etc. These are necessary costs that we cannot reduce. The expenditures amount to hundreds of thousands of GEL, "- said the General Director of RED-CO.
He also stressed the importance of active communication between the government and the private sector, noting that more involvement from the state is needed.
"We need more consolations from the state to know when the mountain resorts are opening. The opening process is not instant, preparation is required, it is impossible to open it spontaneously. But there is no talk about the opening today. We have high hopes to use the season in February, but there are rumors that we may not open even in February," he added.
