Belavia opens Minsk-Kutaisi flight

29.05.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News). The first regular flight Minsk-Kutaisi (Georgia)-Minsk was conducted by the national airline Belavia on 28 May, BelTA learnt from the press service of the air company.

The plane for Kutaisi left Minsk at 00h05 and touched down in the Georgian city at 3h50. The plane was back to the Belarusian capital at 6h35.

The flight to David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport will be operated three times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) on CRJ-100/200 aircraft. The journey will take 2 hours 45 minutes in one direction.

Kutaisi International Airport played host to an official ceremony of opening the new flight. Attending the presentation were the management of the airport and the Belarusian air carrier. Deputy Director General for IT of the national air company Belavia Vladimir Barkun expressed confidence that the flight would promote an increase in direct and transit passengers traveling via Minsk to Europe and the CIS.

Ukraine International Airlines performed first flight from Batumi Airport

28.05.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News). Ukraine International Airlines launched non-stop scheduled service Batumi – Kiev – Batumi.

Until the end of June 2013 new flights en route Batumi – Kiev – Batumi are operated thrice a week on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays from Batumi to Kiev. Starting July 1, the frequency of flights on the route will be increased up to 4 weekly flights – besides the above mentioned ones Batumi – Kiev flights will be also operated on Thursdays, and starting July 10 UIA will operate 5 weekly flights between Batumi and Kiev: on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Within the promo campaign, the price of one-way ticket from Kiev to Batumi, purchased until May 31, will start from 37 Euro. Regular flights will be performed by B 737-500 type aircraft, and will deliver passengers from Kiev at 22:50 p.m. As for the departure, the flight from Batumi Airport to Kiev will be carried out at 06:45 a.m. Flight duration is 2 hours and 20 minutes.

UIA offers direct service between Georgia and Ukraine, connecting the two countries with three direct scheduled flights per day: two daily flights between Tbilisi and Kiev and one daily flight en route Batumi – Kiev – Batumi.

Happy Independence Day from Hvino TOUR News team!

London to host Georgian festival

by Nino Edilashvili

12.05.2013. People in Great Britain tend to love the arts, wine and exploring foreign cultures. So they will have an opportunity to attend a grand festival entitled Georgia-Art in Wine and Wine in Art scheduled from May 6-21 in London.

Mako Abashidze, Director of the British Georgian Chamber of Commerce (BGCC), the organizer of the festival, says that this event with its “very extraordinary format” will raise awareness of Georgia. “The target group of the festival is the British media and ordinary people who have an interest in Georgia, as well as our Georgian emigrants living in London,” Abashidze told Georgia Today.

The festival is divided into several parts and includes a performance by members of the Marjanishvili Theatre, an arts exhibition and a presentation of Chateau Mukhrani wines, as well as a film screening.

FlyGeorgia eyes Gulf market

09.05.2013. Newly-established FlyGeorgia Airline plans to expand its operations in Gulf to boost tourism in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

One of the newest airlines in the aviation sector, which has three weekly flights on Tbilisi-Dubai-Tbilisi route, will increase its frequency to four per week from this summer and target a daily service by next year.

“We are keen to buildup a strong route network in Gulf to boost tourism in Georgia,” airline’s director of media relations Tannaz Hosseinpour told Khaleej Times on the sidelines of Arabian Travel Market.

Privately-owned Georgian airline aims at connecting the CIS state with the world to support its development of tourism, economic growth, and popularisation of the country. It is the only airline with an Airbus fleet flying out of Tbilisi International airport and has established 10 routes in three continents in less than six months.  “We are set to launch new services in Gulf, Europe and other Asian destinations to expand the airline’s network. The airline has ambitious plans for the near future,” Hosseinpour said.

Travel to Alaverdi in Georgia and enjoy a wine-tasting holiday with a difference

25.04.2013. Alaverdi Monestry produces 30,000 litres of wine a year using the old qvevri method. At my table are nine people. Eight have long beards and are strictly religious. They are priests and bishops. The other is me. All of us have a glass of yellow wine and are toasting… I am not sure what.

Inside the Alaverdi Monastery, in the heart of the Kakheti wine region, are bottles and bottles of wine that have been researched, studied and cultivated here since the 11th century. Bishop David stands up with the slightest of wobbles. He has engaging black eyes and a raw-boned frame. He is still youthful but this fact is disguised by a long, wispy beard.

Bishop David speaks eloquently about the monastery’s history, or so I’m told. I have no understanding of the language, so snippets are translated for me. Bishop David stands at the head of the table as the ‘tamada’ (toastmaster), elected to toast and maintain discipline. This ancient ritual of host has been preserved throughout Georgian history and continues here, as Bishop David delivers a lament on wine production and the responsibility of the monastery as a wine academy. ‘Wherever there are monks, there is wine being made,’ he says.

The recently excavated eighth-century cellar has been restored and the monastery produces more than 30,000 litres of wine a year under its own label using the qvevri method – which uses a large earthenware vessel to ferment wine – as well as modern methods that use stainless-steel fermentation containers.

15th International Tourism Exhibition in Tbilisi

by Baia Dzagnidze

With the goal of promoting Georgia as tourist destination, the 15th International Tourism Fair and 2nd Caucasus Incentive, Business Travel and Meeting Exhibition set up a meeting place for local and foreign tour operators and enabled them to present information to an audience on April 12-14.

ExpoGeorgia, an exhibition center in Tbilisi, hosted the event, uniting around 100 exhibitors from various countries including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.

“The tourism fair is one of the traditional projects for the center,” says project manager Nino Gamrekeli. “Every year, visitors get a feel for what the current trends are in the tourism sector. This year’s exhibition presents the most diverse touristic products compared to previous years,” she said, adding that the visitor can obtain detailed information on interesting touristic destinations.

Georgia, Cradle of Wine (IWTC 2013)

by Jochen Erler

15.04.2013. This was the title of the closing plenary session at the International Wine Tourism Conference and Workshop in Croatia 2013 (read more here), and was made by the Georgian National Tourism Administration and the Georgian National Wine Agency. They gave an introduction to the wine industry of their country which has the longest history of uninterrupted wine production in the world. While under the Soviet regime emphasis was given to the volume of output, and this on a surface of 150.000 ha, nowadays only 40.000 ha are covered by productive vineyards. Quality of the wine has increased considerably since having lost the Russian market for the past few years and having established a foothold in other markets.

The development of wine tourism is one of the key targets of Georgia’s Government which has established an ambitious program of education and training for all manpower involved in the wine tourism industry. For each category of stakeholders, such as restaurant staff, winery staff, tour leaders and managerial staff specific and very detailed criteria have been laid down to ensure competence and professionalism for these people.

In addition, the existing wine festivals will receive support and further development. The highlight of the presentation was the announcement that Georgia will be the host country for next year’s (2014) International Wine Tourism Conference. The auditorium responded spontaneously by applauding this announcement. See you there in 2014!

Source

Bidzina Ivanishvili: Georgia cannot live thanks to tourism only

11.04.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News).  Georgia cannot live thanks to tourism only, - Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili stated during a meeting with the editors of television channels  and printed medias on April 10.

In his words,  he doesn't  agree with the previous government's "obsession" that tourism will save our country. "Tourism will be  one of business directions, and not the core as the previous government considered," - Ivanishvili said.

© HTN (Hvino Tour News)

"Saveur": Everlasting feast: Food in the Republic of Georgia

By Karen Shimizu

09.04.2013. In the Republic of Georgia, bold, unique flavors, ancient methods of winemaking, and epic meals are at the center of a way of life. I've thought about this meal so many times now that the memory of it feels like a dream: I'm seated at a table whose surface I can no longer see—it has disappeared entirely underneath dozens of overlapping plates. There are only six of us, but the food laid out could easily feed 30. There are loaves of bread; plates of white, salty sulguni cheese; platters of peppery raw radishes, pickled tomatoes, and palate-freshening parsley, tarragon, and green onions; earthenware dishes called ketsi filled with grilled mushrooms and fried potatoes; jars of fresh yogurt and little bowls of rose petal jam and honey to add to it; bottles of tarragon soda; and pitchers of wine, some purple-black saperavi and others amber, apricot-scented rkatsiteli.

It's early autumn, and I'm in a town called Bodbiskhevi in Kakheti, the easternmost region of the Republic of Georgia. We're an hour into a dinner in the backyard of Gela Patalashvili, a winemaker here. His vineyards stretch for miles in every direction. If I squint, the tawny, arid landscape, thickly planted with grapevines and dotted with pomegranate and cypress trees, reminds me of Tuscany—that is, if Tuscany were bordered by the snowcapped Caucasus Mountains and home to a 7,000-year-old winemaking tradition. Gathered around the table are my husband, Chris, and a handful of Georgian and American expat friends. After a day of helping Gela pick plums from his orchards, we've been invited to join him for dinner, which, as dinners tend to do in Georgia, has turned into a several-hour feast called a supra (meaning "tablecloth" for the way the food covers the table), a celebratory meal involving structured toasts, wine, song, and lots and lots of food.

More Polish tourists visiting Georgia

08.04.2013. The number of Polish tourists visiting Georgia increased by 94 percent in 2013 compared to the same period of 2012, according to the Georgian Tourism Association.

About 21,000 Polish tourists visited Georgia in 2012. The majority of them visited the country in the summer.

An increase was observed compared to 2011 as well, when just 12,103 polish tourists visited Georgia, according to the National Statistics Office of Georgia. In total 5,053,046 people arrived in Georgia that year. Among them, 2,233,589 were citizens of Georgia and 2,819,457 - the citizens of other countries.

The number of tourists that have visited Tbilisi from Poland since January 2013 is 634.

Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs talks about tourism in Georgia

05.04.2013. Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs has recently published travel recommendations for the world's countries.

The first category is those countries that are inadvisable to visit at all. The second category is those countries that are not recommended unless there is an urgent need. The third category is countries which are generally safe to travel in except for certain territories. The fourth is those countries where tourists should take certain safety measures, and fifth category is those countries where traveling is very safe.

Georgia is in the third group together with Russia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan. According to the Canadian Foreign Ministry's list the U.S.A. Chile, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea are among the safest countries to visit in the world.

Source

"The Guardian": Doing the chacha

Photo: Vano Shlamov/Getty

by Dan Peleschuk

05.04.2013. A few shots of the national drink allow travellers to gaze on Tbilisi with fresh eyes. Our guide, Lasha, couldn't find any other words: "Have a couple shots," he kept saying with a wry smile, "and you'll be set."

All afternoon, Lasha's attempts to describe the taste, strength and effects of chacha – Georgia's national spirit – had left us intrigued. We had spent the day touring the picturesque south Caucasian country, known for its majestic peaks, savoury cuisine and the hospitality of its locals. And Lasha, naturally, served as our source for all matters of local history and culture. But whenever the conversation turned toward chacha, a predominantly grape-based liquor reputed for its flavour and strength, he seemed at a loss for words.

So in the evening, as we headed back towards the capital of Tbilisi, a forlorn, roadside mess hut caught our attention. "Maybe they have it," Lasha wondered aloud as we pulled over.

Tbilisi New Wine Festival date announced

30.03.2013 (Hvino News). The fourth festival of young wine will take place in Tbilisi on May 11.

Wine companies and individual producers will contribute to the annual event, which last year had attracted about 15 000 visitors. Wine Club and Municipality of Tbilisi are organizers of the festival. According to them, in 2013 there will be more individual producers represented at the festival.

The usual site of the open-air festival is Ethnographic Museum in Tbilisi. For 2012's festival report, see here.

© Hvino News

Why I'd Take Tbilisi Over Rome or Zurich

By Paul Rimple

25.03.2013. When CNN published a travel story earlier this month showing Tbilisi's ranking as one of the worst cities in the world, it sent locals in a tizzy. Georgians think Tbilisi is the bellybutton of the universe. It might be crazy, but that's part of its charm. Calling it inferior reflects a second-rate way of seeing the world.

The bogus ranking was reflected in the 2012 Quality of Living Survey by Mercer, a U.S.-based consulting firm. Mercer bases its criteria on factors such as safety, education, hygiene and political-economic stability in an effort to help multinational companies decide where to open shop and how much to pay employees.

Georgia becomes a tourist destination for Iraqis

by Giorgi Lomsadze

26.03.2013. In a move that emphasizes the South Caucasus country's emerging ties with the Middle East, Georgia’s largest carrier, Airzena Georgian Airways, has launched direct flights to Erbil, capital of the autonomous northern region of Kurdistan in Iraq.

Georgia and Iraq have visa-free travel and a growing number of Iraqis of late have been trekking out to Georgia by land or by connecting flights. After the number hit 7,000 last year, Airzena started negotiations with the government of Kurdistan over a direct air link.

The region's relative safety and the new money produced by the development of its energy resources seem to have motivated the pick of Erbil, but the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and the Kurdish cultural hub of Sulaymaniah are next on the list.

Georgia to host international wine tourism conference in 2014

22.03.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News) Georgia successfully participated in 5th International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC) in Zagreb, Croatia, on 15 - 16 March, being also one of main sponsors of the Conference (read more: Georgia to sponsor wine tourism conference in Zagreb and Georgian wines at IWINETC 2013 in Zagreb).

It was announced that next year, Georgia will be the host country for IWINETC '2014. A special presentation reflecting the trends of tourism development in Georgia as well as the capacity and infrastructure of wine tourism, was held at conference in Zagreb. It was noted that in recent years Georgia has made significant progress in the development of this type of tourism.

New ferry service between Derince (Turkey) and Poti (Georgia) launched

21.03.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News) Brand new ferry service between Derince (Turkey) and Poti (Georgia) launched with effect from March 14, 2013.

Railcars carrying both conventional and dangerous as well as off-gauge cargoes, trucks and cars, tracked vehicles, palletized and non-palletized deck cargoes are accepted for carriage.

The line is served with rail ferries «Geroi Shipki» and «Geroi Plevny» and offers fortnightly departures and all-the-year-round navigation.

Customers are additionally offered logistics and forwarding package which includes shipping railcars, vehicles and other cargoes from the port of Derince to the port of Poti and further to a destination in Central Asia or via the port of Derince to a destination in other major European ports both for inbound and outbound cargoes.

© HTN (Hvino Tour News)

Georgia participates in 5th International Wine Tourism Conference in Zagreb

15.03.2013 (Hvino News) Georgia participates in 5th International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC) in Zagreb, Croatia, on 15 - 16 March.  Georgia is also one of main sponsors of the Conference (read more: Georgia to sponsor wine tourism conference in Zagreb).

On Saturday March 16th IWINETC closes with a tasting of Georgian wines. “Bolomde!” – bottoms up!

The first word most tourists to Georgia learn is “guamarjos!” – cheers! Long thought to be the birthplace of wine and supported by archaeologists finding wine vessels from 6000 years ago and ancient architecture with frescos of grape vines; this is a wine country.

Bringing wine made from Saperavi, Georgia’s most prominent red wine varietal identifiable by it’s pomegranate color and velvety structure, are wineries Winiveria, Khareba, and Shumi. Also taste Chateau Mukhrani’s Seperavi which delivers on mulberry, blackberry and cherry aromas.

"China Daily": A Vintage rebirth

by Ye Jun

Tucked in the Caucasus is an ancient tradition of wine making. Ye Jun sips across the sweet spots of Georgia.

Georgia is a country where humans first discovered the art of winemaking. One of the historic cradles of wine in the world, the country is revitalizing its viticulture and other traditions. A team of six journalists was invited by the Georgian Wine Agency recently to visit the vineyard regions of the country. At the airport, we are surprised and pleased to receive a small bottle of wine in a box that was labeled: "Welcome to the land of 8,000 vintages." The back of the box says the winemaking tradition of Georgia has "passed through generations for over 8,000 years".

Coming from a country with a 5,000-year-old civilization, we Chinese journalists are curious.

Georgia improved Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Rating by 7 points

09.03.2013 (Hvino Tour News) The World Economic Forum (WEF) released 2013 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) report, with Georgia advancing its positions from 73 to 66.

Russia worsened its positions, dropping from 59 to 63. Ukraine ranked 76th, Azerbaijan -78, Armenia - 79th. Details may be found here.

The analysts took into account such  factors as the state of the country's tourism sector, security, health, transport, culture, social security and the environment. Georgia’s competitiveness, in the overall, was evaluated of 4.10 points. Ratings leader - Switzerland has 5.66 points, while Haiti is in the bottom of the ranking with 2.59 points.

TTCI assessed 140 economies worldwide based on the extent to which they are putting in place the factors and policies to make it attractive to develop the travel and tourism sector. The report revealed that Switzerland, Germany and Austria lead the world in terms of travel and tourism competitiveness, with Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Canada, Sweden and Singapore completing the top 10.

© HTN (Hvino Tour News)

Over 200 thousand Russian tourists came to Georgia during last 6 months

02.03.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News) The number of Russian tourists in Georgia is significantly increasing. According to National Tourism Agency, from September 2012 to February 2013, the number of Russian tourists in Georgia has exceeded 204 thousand, which is 72% more than in the same period a year ago.

“Elite Travel Tour'' agency confirms that  the inflow of Russian tourists  increased compared with last year saying that introduction of visa-free regime with Russia played a significant role.

© HTN (Hvino Tour News)

Bank of Georgia Research: Georgia's Tourism Sector - Seize the Opportunity

25.02.2012. Before heading off on adventure, prospective travelers typically search the web for the top things to do in a given country. Less than a decade ago, many travelers would have been impressed by Georgia's long history and rich culture but turned off by poor infrastructure and services. Georgia has since drastically improved accessibility and services, as well as the safety of attractions. Tourism is not a new concept for Georgia, rather a recollection of what it once was. During the Soviet period in late 80s, the country of then just 5.3mn (official statistics estimates current population at 4.5mn) hosted over 3mn visitors annually, including 250,000 from outside the USSR. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the ensuing unrest brought Georgia's tourism to a standstill and the number of visitors slipped to around 383,000 in 1999, with most coming from the CIS.

Since then, Georgia posted an impressive 22% CAGR in visitors over 2000-2012. The Lonely Planet travel guide recently named Georgia one of its top-10 Best Value Destinations for 2013 (details here). As the world steadily rediscovers Georgia as a real tourist destination, we believe the hospitality sector holds attractive investment opportunities. This is especially true for accommodation as the segment is already starting to see a shortage.

Georgia to sponsor wine tourism conference in Zagreb

21.02.2013 (Hvino TOUR News). Georgia will participate in 5th International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC). The event will take place on 15 - 17 March in Zagreb, Croatia.

Dimitri Kumsishvili, First Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, said that the event will be attended by representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia and the National Tourism Administration. Georgia's National Wine Agency and National Tourism Administration are the gold sponsors of Zagreb's conference.  Next year the conference will take place in Georgia, according to Mr. Kumsishvili.

Report "Wine Tourism Destination Georgia" will be presented by John Wurdeman, owner of Pheasant's Tears winery.

Georgian wine tasting will be held during the conference, scheduled for March 16. Represented wines will include Kondoli Vineyards Rkatsiteli 2009, Qvevri Traditional Kakhetian, Kisi & Chateau Mukhrani Reserve Du Prince 2007 Saperavi.

Tourism Advisory Council is set up to develop recommendations

20.02. 2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News) Tourism Advisory Council (TAC) is created in Georgia. According to the National Tourism Administration, the Council is created upon the initiative of  private sector representatives operating in tourism industry. They explain that the goal of the Advisory Council is to discuss the global issues in tourism industry. In addition, the Council will develop recommendations aimed at the right direction establishment and their implementation for tourism development.

The First Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Dimitry Kumsishvili and directors of Georgian National Tourism Agency and tourism associations signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on the 20th of February on the basis of which Tourism Advisory council was set up for the first time in Georgia, according to official release of Ministry.

New Flow of Russian Tourists to Georgia

18.02.2013. From September 2012 till February 2013 the number of Russian tourists in Georgia increased by 72% compared to the same period of the year before. During the past five months Georgia has hosted 204,495 Russian visitors, of which almost half are friends and relatives of Georgian residents.

The number of Russian tourists in Georgia during the same period of 2011/2012 was 119,053.

“41% of Russian residents come to Georgia to visit friends and family,” Rusudan Mamatsashvili, Head of the Planning and Development Department at Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA), told The Financial. “Leisure and recreation is the main purpose of foreign nationals when visiting Tbilisi . Thirty-two percent of Russians visited Georgia for leisure and recreation while 5% travelled for business,” Mamatsashvili said.

Tourism? What tourism? - Svaneti

by Tony Hanmer

17.02.2013. I was in Mestia a week ago, and stopped in at the Tourism Centre in Seti Square. They’re usually a good source for recent copies of Georgia Today.

But the latest copies now are from December 2012 – itself a bad sign. And the tourism numbers are far, far down from this time a year ago. If anyone should know, it’s the people in this place. But so says everyone else I’ve asked – owners of a couple of guest houses in the town, my neighbour who was skiing at Hatsvali recently, and others. One of the December 2011 copies of GT which I have even projects a much more optimistic figure for current tourists – about 60,000 expected for 2013.

So, what’s happening? People say that Ivanishvili has declared that Georgia doesn’t need as many tourists as it has been getting recently. Is this a true quote? I turned to Google for an answer, and this is what I found: nothing – in English, anyway – to support this claim.

RyanAir plans to enter Georgia

05.02. 2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News). Irish company RyanAir, one of Europe’s lowest cost airlines, still considers an opportunity to enter Georgia. One of the founders of the company said at  London conference that RyanAir considered Israel and Georgia as potential markets.

Michael Kors names reasons, which may lead to their interest in Georgia. "This is a country with a very liberal economy,  and Hungarian WizzAir has already flied there,” - he noted.

Earlier, president Mikheil Saakashvili also expressed wish to bring the Irish airline to Georgia.

© HTN (Hvino Tour News)

Tourism companies talk about withdrawal of state support

30.01.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News) Tourism companies note lack of activity of Georgia's tourism authorities. GeoHotel, a company that runs a 3 – star hotel chain across the country stated to radio Commersant that GeoHotel has had almost no visitors since January 8. Shalva  Alaverdashvili notes that there is a lack of visitors  in  Gudauri, because unlike last year, there is no support from the state.

He explains that Mestia as a winter tourism destination no longer exists and they are going to stop a hotel functioning  in Mestia. Alaverdashvili says that tourism development will  be stopped without state support and advertisement of various resorts which signs have already existed. According to him, they applied to  Ministry of Economy in order to  develop hotels and projects in regions, however, received a reply from the Deputy Minister that the companies working in regions lacked the education and experience.

British Airways leaves Georgia

29.01.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News) According to the Tbilisi office of the company, the last flight on the route Tbilisi-London will be operated on March 29, and starting March 31, the airline officially ceases operations in Georgia. The decision to leave Georgia was made by the British Airways for commercial reasons. The airline states that Tbilisi-London and London-Tbilisi flights are unprofitable.

British Airways returned to Georgia after a hiatus in 2012.

© HTN (Hvino Tour News)

Guria airport construction suspended

29.01.2013. Work on the project has been suspended. As Ozurgeti Economy, Infrastructure and Investment Environment Department  Chief Merab Tsivtsivadze explains, last August Turkish and Arab specialists arrived in Georgia and conducted  survey works, but since then not a single investor or any other person interested in Gurian airport has visited  the village of Meria.

"Working on the project was started, but this time the work is officially suspended,”- Tsivtsivadze notes.

President Mikheil Saakashvili said about the need to build the airport in the village of Meria. " In September a large international airport will be opened in Kutaisi. We must begin to build an airport in Guria, in particular, in the village of Meria. Georgia, in terms of airports, will be one of the most developed countries in the world ", - he said.

Source

1,5 million hotel project in Borjomi halted

28.01.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News) According to Georgian radio Commersant one and a half million investment project in Borjomi has been stopped. Tourism information center in Borjomi explained that the construction of the "Rooms Borjomi" hotel located in  Borjomi Park has been stopped. Financial problems are named  the main reason. According to the information center, the deadline of  the project completion expires  in May. Five more hotels are being built in the town of Borjomi, making a total value of 20 million 350 thousand GEL. Investment projects should  be completed in May of the current year.

© HTN (Hvino Tour News)

The Guardian's Jessica Hynes: Tbilisi or bust

by Jessica Hynes

27.01.2013. The last time I travelled with my sister Zoe was a trip to Turkey 17 years ago. She beat all the men off the backgammon table, I tried to hire a moped without a licence and nearly crashed it, and my mother got so badly sunburned she had to stay in her hotel room. This trip was infinitely more sophisticated – not, as you might think, because we are old bags, but because Tbilisi is heaven on Earth. Not just because you can still smoke, or because the food you eat in every restaurant is fresh, seasonal and unlike anything you've ever eaten, or because you can drink usakhelauri, a wonderful light semi-sweet red wine (I am cradling a bottle to open on my sister's birthday). But also because, despite relentless onslaughts over centuries from unfriendly neighbours, the Georgian culture and spirit remain undimmed.

Georgian hospitality centers around wine and food

by Sharon Parsons

27.01.2013. Georgia, one of the oldest producing wine regions in the world, is rich in tradition. Georgian food and wine are best observed at a Georgian feast, or supra (a traditional banquet feast). In fact, it is hard to find the words to describe the experience. Part of the Georgian tradition is to have a toastmaster at such gatherings. Usually a toast is accompanied by a song or verse. While in Georgia we experienced a number of Georgian feasts that involved food and wine.

Georgian hospitality was super hot on a cold mid-November day when we arrived at Shumi Wine Company, Tsinandali in the Telavi region of Georgia. My primary goal for going to the Republic of Georgia was to better understanding what is involved in qvevri wine making. However, what I discovered first hand in Georgia was not only qvevri wine making but also a rich tradition centered on wine and food. Georgians truly know how to celebrate with wine and food. During a recent #EWBC post-conference trip to Georgia sponsored by the Georgian Wine Association, Spaswinefood experienced Georgian hospitality at its best.

Construction of Poti airport under question

24.01.2013. Whether the construction of the largest airport in the South Caucasus will be continued, is still unknown. Chief legal adviser to "Rakia Georgia" says that the construction  is still suspended. According to Zurab  Neparidze, so far "Rakia" has maintained the Poti airport project. However, whether it will be resumed or on whom this fact depends, is unknown.

Poti's majoritarian MP Eka Beselia made a statement regarding  the construction of Poti airport in radio  Commersant air ​​before the elections. President Mikheil Saakashvili  voiced the  initiative on Poti  international airport construction, which was supposed to be the largest in Transcaucasia in 2009, and said that construction had to  be finished in 2012. However, environmental protection NGOs protest against the construction of the airport near Kolkheti National Park and think that this construction will cause environmental problems.

Source

"Argo Complex" to be opened in Batumi in April

22.01.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News) Batumi's "Argo" Multifunctional Complex will be opened in April, according to director Giorgi Kavzharadze.

Argo's director says that as the complex is being built at the Batumi hill it will be connected to the city via an Austrian made rope-way often referred to as "Batumi funicular". At first stage 8 gondolas will be installed. The setup is meant for 21 gondolas.

Kavzharadze notes the complex will have 5 floors, and first two floors will be technical, while cafes and exhibition halls will be located on the remaining floors. He says that the investment required for the project exceeded 40 million and were allocated by a British company. Argo Multifunctional Entertainment Complex was designed by British architect in the ship shape.

© HTN (Hvino Tour News)

7 Highlights of Georgia

21.01.2013. From the fertile wine region of Kakheti—full of beautiful churches, monasteries and wineries—to the ancient villages of mountainous Svaneti, Georgia is a land of unparalleled natural beauty, with a long, fascinating and largely under-appreciated history. A small and obscure nation located at the eastern end of the Black Sea, wedged between Russia and Turkey, Georgia has been given little attention by Western travelers, and many treasures await those willing to make the journey.

A few facts you might not know to stir your interest in this tiny Caucus nation:

• Georgia is the oldest wine-producing nation in the world, with 521 original varieties of grape and production dating back to 7000-5000 BC.
• Georgia’s many languages are unrelated to the Indo-European or Semitic languages of the surrounding region.
• Georgia is home to some of the most ancient churches in Christendom (it was the second nation to adopt Christianity, after Armenia).

"Airzena" to return status of national airline

20.01.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News) According to  Iase Zautashvili, director of  Airzena Georgian Airways,  the company is working to return the status of Georgia's national airline. Mr. Zautashvili says that communication has already begun with the Department of Aviation and Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development. As Iase Zautashvili noted,  a few years ago Airzena has about 60% market share, however, today it controls only 8-9%.

Airzena Georgian Airways is a privately owned airline operating services from Georgia to destinations mainly in Europe and Western Asia. Its main base is Tbilisi International Airport. The airline was established and started operations in September of 1994. Airzena merged with Air Georgia in November of 1999 to form Airzena Georgian Airlines.

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Georgia's Prime Minister: Abkhazian railway is back on agenda

18.01.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News). The Abkhazia-Georgia-Armenia railway may be re-opened, and much more is possible because Armenia and Georgia have no problems in their relations, Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili stated at a news conference in Yerevan.

Georgia has no problems with Armenia, it still has problems with Russia, he added. “We had – and still have - very serious problems with Russia. But we hope and we are doing our best to restore our relations with Russia as soon as possible. However, the controversial issues of territorial integrity will not allow us to resolve them soon,” Mr Ivanishvili said. The re-opening of the railway should be viewed in this context, he added.

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Rehabilitation of Dartlo and Omalo to be carried out

17.01.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News). Dartlo and  Omalo rehabilitation will continue under  the new government and, according to the schedule, will be completed in due time. The rehabilitation will be resumed in May, 2013, according to Akhmeta's  Deputy Governor Vazha Naskidashvili. He says that the work has stopped at this time because of heavy snow, and the project will  be resumed in  May. In his words, more tourists are expected to visit the region  taking into consideration the fact that Dartlo and Omalo rehabilitation  will be completed in late October and additional several guesthouses will be  opened in  tourist areas.

Omalo and Dartlo are historical villages in mountain region of Tusheti. In total, 6 million GEL  has been allocated for  their rehabilitation. Dartlo and  Omalo rehabilitation includes restoration of historical towers.

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Heritage Foundation and Wall Street Journal's Index of Economic Freedom: "Georgia showed the most improvement in 2013"

15.01.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News). A joint study 2013 Index of Economic Freedom, published yesterday by the Washington think-tank The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal, places Georgia at high position.

"There are five European countries whose economic freedom status has changed notably in the 2013 Index. Georgia, Norway, and the Czech Republic have become “mostly free” economies. Georgia achieved the largest score improvement in the 2013 Index", - outlines the research paper.

"Georgia’s economic freedom score is 72.2, making its economy the 21st freest in the 2013 Index. Its overall score is 2.8 points higher than last year, with improvements in six of the 10 economic freedoms including management of public finance, investment freedom, and property rights. Georgia is ranked 11th out of 43 countries in the Europe region, and its score is the most improved in the 2013 Index.

"The Moscow Times": Conquering the world with wine and food

by Paul Rimple

13.01.2013. In August 2008, I was sitting on a curb in the Georgian village of Akhalgori with journalist Wendell Steavenson watching Ossetian troops loot stores and homes. "This whole thing is crazy," she said. "All Georgia had to do was invite Russia to the dinner table. They would have conquered it with food and wine."


She, like many foreigners who have spent any time in the country, is intimately familiar with Georgia's most formidable weapon. It's not the "strategic partnership" that brings all those Washington lawmakers to Georgia. It's the food.

Georgia's Civil Aviation Union calls on government to revise strategy

12.01.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News) Chairperson of the Civil Aviation Union Giorgi Kodua says the 90% of aviation sector is monopolized, which causes expensive cost on flights. Giorgi Kodua has defined at the briefing today that the additional tax collections imposed for national air transporter companies has resulted in the rise of prices on flights. Kodua calls on the government to revise the aviation strategy, otherwise, he fairs the current system will affect development of tourism in the country.

`Business sector, which had to pay millions to the state budget as additional tax collection, has included this part of the tariff in ticket costs. Development of air-sector depends on chief tariffs and direct flights, but during past few years the only development we had was night flights, transit flight and high cost of tickets. Therefore, it is natural that the development of tourism sector may be affected,` Kodua said.

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Georgia restores one more monument of Stalin

11.01.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News). The bust of Joseph Stalin has been restored in the village of  Akura, Telavi District of the Kakheti Region, in the eastern part of Georgia. The monument was secretly taken down in 2010 and stored by local resident Badri Gogiashvili. Recently local authorities permitted to restore the monument.

It is the second monument of Stalin restored in Georgia after the parliamentary elections won by Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili on October 1, 2012. The first monument of Stalin was restored in Zemo Alvani in the Ahmeta District. The monument is to be be erected in Gori through private donations of locals. Read more: "New York Times": Georgia: A Stalinist Restoration.

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Georgian government suspends deal with TAV on Tbilisi Airport

10.01.2013. The Georgian government has suspended a memorandum with a Turkish operator of the Tbilisi International Airport on reconstruction of now unused runway, which means that the Turkish company will no longer get extension for more than ten years of its right to run the airport till late 2037.

In August, 2012 Georgia’s previous government signed memorandum with TAV Airports Holding, which owns 76% shares in Tbilisi airport operator TAV Urban Georgia, under which the airport operator company was planning to invest USD 65 million in reconstruction of the unused runway, one of the two runways at the Tbilisi airport. In exchange TAV received extension of airport’s operational right from February 2027 to November 2037.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

07.01.2013. Today Georgia and other Orthodox Christian nations celebrate Christmas, which is official holiday in Georgia. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Maia Sidamonidze: Talk about "the serving nation" is a mental weakness

05.01.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News). On January 1 2013 Maia Sidamonidze resigned from her position of National Tourism Agency's head. She has been working for three years at the agency, and decided to switch to private sector. Translation of interview with former chairwoman of country's tourism department to Georgian radio Kommersant follows below:

Why did you decide to resign  from the agency? Today you will go back to the private sector, why? 

My decision to come to Georgia was correct as I worked at a very good moment in terms of tourism development in Georgia. This was one of the fastest growing sectors over the years and, of course, for me it was a great honor to be one of the partners in this process. On the other hand, I think that the private sector already offers many opportunities for self-realization in the same profession. I remain in this sector, in the tourism industry. Not necessarily people in this profession need to work only in state structures.

Ambassador Gabriela von Habsburg: Georgia now ‘open for business’

04.01.2013  (HTN - Hvino Tour News) H.E. Gabriela von Habsburg, also known as Archduchess Gabriela of Austria, is Ambassador of Georgia to Germany since 2009. Germany's Globus Vision published an interview with Ambassador Gabriela von Habsburg in January 2013. The reforms implemented in recent years, along with a privileged geographic position and a well-functioning democracy, have made Georgia a highly attractive place for doing business, she said.

Ambassador Gabriela von Habsburg points out that by cutting red tape and removing obstacles to investors, Georgia has managed to enter the top ten countries in the World Bank's “Ease of Doing Business” ranking. She also touched upon the issues of  tourism, wine and agriculture. Parts of Ambassador Gabriela von Habsburg's interview follow:

Tourism in Ajara, Georgia: off-the-beaten-track FDI location

03.01.2013. The republic of Georgia has landed in the international media spotlight for a variety of reasons in recent years and months, from its conflict with Russia a handful of years ago to its pro-investment and development environment and advances intransparency and pro-business regulatory pushes. Georgia is also gaining popularity as an off-the-beaten track tourist destination - thanks in large part to its gastronomical prowess, which has been featured in various media outlets, including The Huffington Post citing Georgia as a top tourist and culinary destination for 2013.

In the midst of this positive attention, the Georgian region of Ajara has also made international news, thanks to Donald Trump visiting the region and expressing interest in developing a casino and hotel in Ajara's capital, Batumi. Trump's interest has created a unique opportunity for Ajara's burgeoning tourist sector. Ajara offers natural beauty, prime Black Sea coastline, a climate for year-round visitors and an historical tourist industry from the Soviet era that has continued to attract tourists from neighbouring countries.

Airzena plans to add flights in 2013

01.01.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News). Georgian national airline Airzena' general director Iase Zautashvili said that in 2013 the company plans to add new destinations.

"We look in the New Year with hope and believe that the past problems will be resolved in 2013. In addition, we offer better services to passengers. New flights are planned to be added as well, "- Zautashvili said.

© HTN (Hvino Tour News)