Georgian Railway aiming to grow

06.08.2013. Georgian Railway has set out its plans for future development, saying it aims 'to become one of the companies promoting growth of the national economy.'

The national railway said a close relationship with freight shippers is a priority. Freight income in the Q1 2013-14 was up 13% on the same period last year, and GR expects liquid freight to increase by 870000 tonnes and dry freight by 200000 tonnes this year. More efficient use is being made of crews, and average train loads, speeds and energy efficiency are increasing.

Negotiations with Azerbaijan aim to establish through tariffs for cotton, wheat, coal and NATO traffic from Afghanistan, which GR expects would help to grow traffic.

GR aims to adopt ISO 9001 standards and introduce harmonisation with EU directives. A freight terminal and customs facilities are to be built at Batumi for transhipping goods arriving from Turkey by road, and there will be closer integration with Black Sea ferries.

Source

Georgia’s tourism authority says no to ads on CNN and BBC

01.08.2013. The new Georgian Government is saying no to the country’s promotion via CNN, BBC and other leading international TV channels. “The previous TV campaign was quite simply a waste of money,” Giorgi Sigua, new head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA) said. Banners, LED screens and billboards, and online advertisements are the new advertising means of choice of the current administration.

“The money needs to be spent on promoting Georgia outside of Georgia, because once you get here it sells itself. People have not heard about the changes that have happened here over the last couple of years. As a tourist I would like to know more about Georgia,” Tom Flanagan, Area Vice President of the Rezidor Hotel Group, recently stated in an interview.

“Awareness is relative. Georgia’s awareness in its neighbouring countries is high; in Eastern Europe it is average, and in the USA, Australia and Africa - very low,” Sigua stated.

“When planning a promotional campaign you should research the gross rating point, which means defining your target audience. You can broadcast an ad for millions of people but none of them might necessarily be your target. CNN’s audience is North America. It is not our target market,” said Sigua.

A new airport may be constructed near Tbilisi

20.07.2013 (Hvino Tour News) Airzena, thee new Georgian airline, came  up with initiative to build a new airport at the former Vaziani military airbase near Tbilisi.

Airzena's general director Iase Zautashvili stated on Friday, that Tbilisi international airport is small and a new airport is needed to drive economic growth.

А new airport might be constructed on the site of the Vaziani airfield. According to Zautashvili, it is not possible to bring the runway at the current international airport up to an ideal working standard. Twice during the past two months, planes have narrowly escaped accidents, pointing towards low standards in navigation services, Mr. Zautashvili says.

The secret to Georgian grilled meats? Grapevines and lots of wine (with audio)

by Corey Flintoff, National Public Radio



18.07.2013. Tucked between Russia and Turkey, the Republic of Georgia is renowned for great food: cheese dishes, pickles, breads and stews. This is a cuisine that you should not miss.

And on summer evenings in the capital, Tbilisi, the air is fragrant with the smells of one of Georgian cookery's highlights: grilled meat, or shashlik.

You can find good shashlik at restaurants with white tablecloths, but the very best in all Tbilisi is said to be at a roadside stop called Mtsvadi Isalamze. It's an unassuming place with rows of wooden picnic tables in an open yard.

The grill is a brick hearth where Giorgi Kavelashvili follows the traditions of his native Kakheti, the easternmost province of Georgia and the nation's wine country. Kavelashvili is 19, but he grills with absolute confidence, because, he says, "In Kakheti, everyone knows how to make shashlik. So I studied it from my childhood."

Number of foreign tourists in Georgia has increased

17.07.2013. (Hvino Tour News) The number of tourists leaving for Georgia from Armenia during the first 6 months of 2013 has increased by 55 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.

The number of international tourists arriving in Georgia for the first six months has increased by 25 percent compared to the same period of 2012: 2 188 721 people.

The number of tourists from Turkey has increased by 18 percent and from Russia by 69 percent being 105 988 people. Number of Ukrainian tourists has increased by 73 percent.

During the last five years the highest income from tourism has been received in 2012.

© HTN (Hvino Tour News)

BBC on Tbilisi: Riding one of the world's steepest funicular railways (video)

17.07.2013. Rajan Datar jumps aboard the funicular railway in Georgia's capital Tbilisi and takes a ride down to the centre of the city which has fallen victim to foreign invasion on dozens of occasions over the centuries.

Georgians hope any new invaders will be tourists looking to explore the former Soviet Republic.

The "Wizz Air Efect" or how Georgia became part of the global economy

by Eric Livny, Irakli Galdava

16.07.2013. On Monday evening I am taking the express train from Tbilisi to Samtredia with my wife and two kids (business class, 120GEL). We plan to stay overnight in a little family hotel (40GEL), and at 6.30am we’ll board the Wizz Air flight to Katowice, Poland, at the cost €40 a person and €35 per suitcase (one way).

Seat reservations, luggage, train and guesthouse included, the roundtrip to Poland will cost my family around €700 compared to €1,500-2,000 using any other, conventional option. A real bargain! (even if we ignore the fact that my wife’s family is actually from Katowice!)

The renovation of Kutaisi Airport and entry by a low cost carrier (LCC) are significant events in Georgia’s modern history. Yes, for now the choice of destinations served by Wizz Air is very limited and commuting from Tbilisi to Kutaisi presents a formidable challenge, certainly for the business travelers among us. Because of these limitations, in the first three months since opening in late September 2012, Kutaisi served a miniscule 4,000 passengers per month, as compared with the 2012 Tbilisi average of 100,000/month. Yet, the Kutaisi/Wizz Air option will no doubt have a strong positive impact on Georgia’s economy and its connection to the rest of the world.

Kazakh travel agencies blame Georgian partners for "complacency"

15.07.2013. Representatives of Kazakh travel agencies are complaining about the complacency of their Georgian partners. Kazakh travelers have a big interest in Georgia, but lack of available information is hampering bilateral relations, The Fianancial was told at a meeting with travel agencies in Astana.

Kazakhstan is becoming a top target country for the Georgian National Tourism Association, due to its high GDP. The list includes Russia and Oman.

Kazakhstan is one of the largest investors in Georgia. In 2008 Georgia attracted the largest FDI from Kazakhstan, despite the recent war with Russia. Kazakhstan financed several Tbilisi hotels, including the Radisson, built and upgraded energy export facilities (e.g. the oil terminal in Batumi), grain terminals, and other infrastructure. Other investments include tourism development in Georgia’s Adjara region and energy systems in Tbilisi.

Carlson Rezidor announces the Park Inn in Tbilisi

09.07.2013. Carlson Rezidor, one of the ten largest hotel groups worldwide and the leading international hotel operator in Russia/CIS, announces the Park Inn by Radisson Rustaveli Tbilisi in Georgia. The mid-market property featuring 200 rooms is scheduled to open in Q3 2015.

“We are delighted to introduce our dynamic brand Park Inn by Radisson to Georgia’s capital city and to further strengthen our presence in the country”, said Wolfgang M. Neumann, President & CEO of Rezidor. Carlson Rezidor already operates the stunning Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel, Tbilisi and the contemporary Radisson Blu Hotel, Batumi in Georgia, and develops new resort property in Tsinandali.

Designed to be hip and cool and targeting the growing clientele of Gen X and Y, Park Inn by Radisson Rustaveli Tbilisi is part of the conversion of the existing post office building. The complex is located right next to the Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel and on the most commercial street of Tbilisi , Rustaveli Avenue.

Georgian - Russian tourism project to launch in September

09.07.2013. A Russian advertising company will help  the Georgian travel company in search of tourists  and promotion of  the region. Travel company's managing director  Mr Levan Tsitskishvili said that they would be  focused mostly on Russian tourists and the Russian advertising company will help in it.

 Recently the number of Russian tourists has significantly increased in Georgia, and that is why we decided to open a travel company  that will be focused on  Russian tourists, "- Tsitskishvili notes.

He adds that the Russian company is not chosen yet, but the company will offer Russian tourists mainly wine and gastronomic tours. The new Georgian travel company will begin its active operation in September of  the current year.

New government names Russia one of the main target markets in  tourism.

According to official reports, last year more than 500 000 tourists came to Georgia from Russia, this year in  the period from January 1 to May 5, the figure increased by 77 percent.

Source

The new in place to get married (video)

07.07.2013. The Georgian resort of Batumi is getting the reputation as the Las Vegas of the Black Sea as couples flock to the pretty coastal city to get married.

Rajan Datar joined a wedding party to see for himself why so many people from as far afield as Italy and the United States are choosing Batumi as the place to get hitched.

BBC on Georgia's traditional singing (video)

05.07.2013. Traditional polyphonic singing is one of the Georgia's biggest cultural exports. Some of the songs go back to the eighth century but UNESCO has warned such traditional music is now threatened by an exodus of people from the rural areas and the growing popularity of pop music.

BBC's Rajan Datar joined a Georgian choir and team of dancers on a trip to one of Europe's highest villages and even made an attempt at polyphonic singing himself.

Iraqi Al Naser Airlines to start regular service from Tbilisi

04.07.2013. (Hvino Tour News) One more new air carrier will perform regular flights this summer from Tbilisi international airport. Al Naser Airlines of Iraq will perform flights to three destinations from Tbilisi.

Flights Najafi -Tbilisi, Basra -Tbilisi and Baghdad- Tbilisi will be performed 5 times per week during day hours, their passengers being provided services by MD-82 airplane.

The first flight from Najafi arrived on July 4, and brought the air company’s management to Tbilisi international airport.

Today at 11 a.m. Al Naser Airlines performed the first flight from Tbilisi to second destination – Basra.

Apart from Al Naser, two other airlines have begun operating flights to the Tbilisi Airport during the summer season, namely the Ukrainian Air Onix Airlines, and the Israeli Israir Airlines.

© HTN (Hvino Tour News)

Iran: Georgia's unilateral abolishment of visa-free travel scheme 'insignificant'

04.07.2013. (Hvino Tour News) A senior Iranian lawmaker said Wednesday that Georgia's unilateral revoke of travel scheme with Iran is "insignificant."

"Georgia has in fact imposed an embargo against itself by unilaterally revoking a visa-free travel regime with Iran," Alaeddin Boroujerdi, chairman of Iran Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, was quoted as saying by Press TV.

Boroujerdi denounced Tbilisi's new measure as "insignificant," saying that "Since tourism industry is among the world's money- making industries, Georgia placed an embargo on itself by revoking visa-free entry for Iranians," according to the report.

"The number of Iranians travelling to Georgia is not so considerable that the unilateral abolishment of this agreement would be important," he added.

On Tuesday, Georgia's Foreign Ministry confirmed that Georgia had revoked a 45-day visa-free travel scheme with Iran, which was signed in November 2010 and had been in effect since Jan. 26, 2011.

Number of Russian tourists visiting Georgia doubles - PM

03.07.2013. (Hvino Tour News) The number of Russian tourists visiting neighboring Georgia has doubled in the past months, Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili told journalists on Wednesday.

"The number of Russian tourists in Georgia has doubled, and this is good. I think, Georgia will soon become more attractive for tourists,” the prime minister said, without giving any exact figures.

According to Georgia’s National Tourism Administration, a total of 1.7 million foreigners, including some 200,000 Russians, visited Georgia in the first five months of 2013. In the same period last year, the country was visited by over 1.2 million people, over 100,000 of them Russians.
Russia introduced a visa regime with Georgia in December 2000, citing security threats. Since 2008, when the two countries severed diplomatic ties over a brief military conflict in the de-facto independent republic of South Ossetia, Georgians can apply for a Russian visa only to visit their close relatives or “in cases of humanitarian emergency.” Georgia unilaterally scrapped visas for Russians in February 29, 2012.

Georgia received 56 percent more tourists in 2012

02.07.2013. The number of tourists grew by 56 percent in 2012, according to the National Tourism Administration. 4 389 256 tourists visited Georgia last year.

In the period from January to May 2013, the number of tourists was 1 698 146, which is an increase of 31 percent compared to last year.

Broken down by country, the majority of visitors came from Turkey with 616 864, Azerbaijan – 355 809, Armenia – 353 732 and Russia – 184 287, followed by Ukraine 38 049, Iran – 26 360, US – 9 044 and Germany – 8 682.

According to the National Tourism Administration, 57 percent of all visitors to Georgia are tourists. The administration defines a visitor as a person who stays at least one night in the country.

38 percent of visitors come for holidays, 20 percent come to visit friends and relatives, while 5 percent are here on business trip. The capital remains the most popular destination for tourists with 44 percent, followed by Batumi, a city on Black Sea shores with 43 percent.

By the end of the year the administration assumes there will be about five million tourists in total.
The National Tourism Administration cooperates with tourist agencies as well as the ministries for foreign affairs, agriculture, economy and culture.

Source

Medical tourism workshop brings industry stakeholders to Tbilisi

30.06.2013. (Hvino Tour News) The Medical Tourism Association® (MTA), in collaboration with MedTourGeorgia, presented a daylong workshop on “Opportunities for Medical Tourism in Georgia,” which provided a forum for industry stakeholders to discuss business opportunities, common goals and challenges, June 25, 2013, at Tbilisi State Medical University.

“I am confident that this one-day workshop will raise awareness about medical tourism in Georgia and it will become an excellent basis for further activities in this direction,” said Dr. Paata Ratiani, founder and CEO of “MedTourGeorgia” and official MTA representative in Georgia, following site tours and meetings.

Presenters at the workshops included Jeff Coxon, education and engagement manager, MTA Europe; Amelia Fernandez, education & engagement coordinator, MTA Global; Dr. Prem Jagyasi, U.S. executive program director, MTA Global; Mary Miller, managing partner, MPROVE GLOBAL, Inc; and Dr. Paata Ratiani, founder and CEO, “MedTourGeorgia” and official MTA representative in Georgia.

Georgia's wine tourism future lies in showcasing its uniqueness

by Sharon Parsons

27.06.2013. A tour of the Eurasian country of Georgia was an opportunity to explore the enotourism or wine tourism potential of its wine regions. Here are some observations based on our experiences in Georgia. Georgia should not try to offer what you find in other winemaking regions of the world. Georgia's enotourism potential lies in showcasing what it has to offer the wine world. Georgia has much to offer that is very different from what you will find elsewhere. This includes (1) an extensive wine history, (2) a qvevri wine making tradition, (2) the celebration of wine and food through Georgian feasts or supras, and (3) Georgian wines made from indigenous grapes.

Georgia’s 8000 years of wine making history makes it is one of the oldest wine making regions in the world. In fact Qvevri wine making dates back to 1011AD to 4000BC, with viticulture in Georgia dating back to 6000BC. Qvevri (kvevri) wine making is a traditional wine making process that is still used in Georgia. What is unique to this wine making process is the use of a large earthenware vessel (qvevri) in which the wine is made. This natural wine making process involves the use of large clay pots, lined with beeswax that is buried in the ground.

National Tourism Administration takes part in Georgian-Israeli business forum

26.06.2013. (Hvino Tour News) Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA) is represented in the Georgian-Israeli Open Business Forum in Tel Aviv.

The Forum was opened on June 25 by Georgia's prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. The event is organized by National Investment Agency of Georgia, Georgian Embassy in Israel and the Israeli Export and International Cooperation Institute.

National Tourism Administration continues wide marketing campaign in Israel this year to increase flow of tourists and maintain popularity of Georgia. The marketing campaign in 2012 resulted in 21% rise of number of tourists from Israel to Georgia. In 2011 there were 25 438 visitors from Israel, in 2012 – 30 755, in the first three months of 2013 – 3813 visitors.

GNTA's head Giorgi Sigua will meet with his Israeli counterpart and with other officials. Meetings with marketing and PR companies are also scheduled.

© HTN (Hvino Tour News)

President of Georgia attended Kartli Wine Festival

26.06.2013 (Hvino News) The President of Georgia attended Kartli Wine Festival 2013, which was held at the rehabilitated Castle District in the Georgian town of Gori. Mikheil Saakashvili spoke with winemakers and noted that such events will assist popularization of the local wine, which will give farmers more income.

The President also met with winemakers whose vineyards were illegally left on the other side of the "barbwire" (the de facto border installed after 2008's war with Russia) in Dvani.

The Kartlian winemakers treated the President with wine pressed out of ancient vine varieties. Exhibition and sale of various handmade goods was also held within the scope of the wine festival. Mikheil Saakashvili symbolically bought handmade products by persons with limited abilities and took photos with them.

Five questions with first deputy minister Dimitry Kumsishvili

by Maia Edilashvili

25.06.2013. Dimitry Kumsishvili, First Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia shares the new government's vision and plans for development of the country's tourism sector.

Q: Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has said that tourism will be a significant sector but that its place will not be as prominent as it was before. What will that change mean for the tourism policy?

A: Tourism is a priority field for our government. As you know, the development of this field helps increase employment, facilitates the development of small and medium sized businesses, boosts budget revenues, and encourages regional development.

There are fundamental changes underway in this direction: a council of advisors has been set up that unites representatives of businesses- a step which aims to increase their engagement in the decision-making process; work is in progress on the tourism development strategy whereby, taking into account recommendations provided in the framework of EU twinning project - an institutional building tool -, a law on tourism will be drafted and works will be launched to establish regional management organizations. Changes are planned in the marketing area as well.

Hvino.com introduces Pop-Up Banners as premium advertising platform

23.06.2013. Since June 2013 all Hvino sites are offering Pop-Up Banners as the new premium-class advertising platform. This is the most visible and effective, yet non-obstructive advertising method. 

One may see how such banners work on all Hvino sites:

Pop-Up Banners have no limitation of format and size. They can also carry all types of modern animation including video and sound. 

As Pop-Up Banners doe not have fixed size, the placement rates are calculated individually for each client.

Special Introductory Offer:  For all campaigns starting from 2 months we offer one month of free advertising! 

If interested, simply email us at  ads[at]artenom-cfe.com.

Counting tourists in Georgia

23.06.2013. The former Georgian government used simple math to increase the number of tourists. Every single person crossing the Georgian border was considered a tourist, whereas many people, in particular truck drivers, are transit visitors who do not spend a single night in Georgia.

Therefore, to calculate the real number of tourists in Georgia, the authorities have started to distinguish between tourists and transit visitors.

As a result the National Agency of Tourism has made certain figures available; it appears that only 57% of people entering Georgia are actually tourists. The authorities distinguish between three types of visitors to the country: transit passengers; people who are visiting Georgia for holidays and those who are visiting families and friends. Popular destinations for tourists include Tbilisi, Batumi, Marneuli, Mtskheta, etc. In the first quarter of 2013 up to one million foreigners entered Georgia. This figure is higher than in the same period for last year.

Source

Head of Georgian National Tourism Administration presented new tourism strategy

by Nino Edilashvili

21.06.2013. The number of foreign visitors in Georgia increased 30% from last year and the expectation is that by the end of 2013, growth will total 37%, this according to Giorgi Sigua, the newly appointed head of the state-run Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA). His prediction is that this year more than five million foreign visitors, including 700, 000 visitors from Russia, will come to Georgia.

The position of the GNTA’s head was vacant for five months after Maia Sidamonidze, the previous head of the GNTA resigned in January of 2013.

On June 18, Dimitry Kumsihvili, the Deputy Economy Minister introduced Sigua to the media and business community representatives, saying that Sigua was an appropriate choice for this position. “He speaks five languages and we hope that he will be able to implement innovative projects together with the experienced group at the GNTA, as well as promote Georgia as a tourism destination worldwide,” Kumsishvili said.

57% of visitors to Georgia Jan-Mar 2013 were tourists

20.06.2013. 57 percent of foreigners who crossed the border into Georgia in first quarter of 2013 were tourists, according to the first result of a report conducted by the Georgian National Tourism Administration.

Giorgi Sigua, head of the administration, said while presenting the report at Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel that the remaining share of visitors are people who didn’t stay in the country for more than a day.

The presentation was attended by representatives of tour operators, hotels, restaurants and air companies.

Sigua noted that Georgia still doesn’t have a strategy for tourism, but there are already plans to implement certain structural changes, and to set up regional management organizations, while lawyers are working on preparing a law on tourism.

Wine and outhouses, Racha-Style

by Alice Feiring

19.06.2013. First, where is Racha? Northwest of Georgia (no, not Atlanta). Not far from Imeriti. Gorgeous. Rich in terroir; iron, carbon, granite, slate, marcasite, quartz,  limestone of all colors that is crawling with ancient crustaceans. The place is a raw nerve of terroir.

Yet the mountainous, pulse-stoppingly beautiful highland-like region is gravely under-utilized and way too poor. This, Georgia's smallest wine region with no bottle-ready wine maker currently on the market--is a  land in need of champion. No foreign star winemaker such as Raul Perez/Telmo Rodriguez is on the horizon. Given my prejudice about wine, this is a good thing.

But some of Georgia's best,  committed to making wine close to nature--like Imertian Ramaz Nikoladze, or Kartlians Niki Antadze and Iago Bitarishvili or Khaketian Gela Patalishvili--could help some of the home talent wanting to come to local and foreign tables.  But right now these local superstars are also struggling to make a dream happen-- as all were born in Soviet times when there no dreams were allowed.

The Rezidor Group VP: More about Georgia

Photo: The Financial

18.06.2013. The Rezidor Hotel Group, the managing company of Radisson Blu hotels in Tbilisi and Batumi, would like to have up to ten hotels in Georgia. Tom Flanagan, Area Vice President of the Rezidor Hotel Group, currently residing in Moscow, has said that good relations with Russia are essential for the development of tourism in Georgia. Mr. Flanagan spoke with The Financial last Wednesday at Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel, where Rezidor Hotel Group held its regional conference in Tbilisi .

“Due to the increasing level of business activity as well as development of Georgia’s meetings facilities that meet international standards such as at Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel, Tbilisi , the demand for Georgia as the business destination and event’s venue is growing” said Flanagan.

“The more positive relations with Russia of late are a very exciting part of the potential in Georgia. This is unbelievably positive progress for the country. We see the tourism figures of arrivals for the country jumping and Russians are starting to contribute to that. So, these growth figures are extremely important for the hotels as a feeder,” said Mr. Flanagan.

IWINETC Georgia 2014: Early bird registration announced

16.06.2013. If you are in the tourism or wine industry, prepare yourself for the 6th Annual International Wine Tourism Conference to take place in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The conference is scheduled for March 28-29, 2014. The conference is geared toward travel agents, wineries, restaurants, bloggers, writers and more. Up to 300 wine, culinary and travel professionals and wine and travel social and traditional media professionals will gather from throughout the world to meet, learn, and share at this, the sixth annual conference for the wine and culinary tourism industry.

30 places will be allocated to active wine and travel bloggers with a massive 60% discount on the price of the two day event. The Conference will include around 30 talks and workshops with an exhibition area to include wine tourism destinations not only in and around Georgia but also in grape escape destinations around the world. The popular evening After Conference programme will include the Grand Wines of Georgia Tasting and there will be smaller tastings of wines from neigbouring countries as well as a wine tasting from the 2015 host country!

Bloggers will also have the opportunity to participate in pre and post conference tours to the nearby Kakheti wine region where they will discover the world’s oldest wine culture and the unique qvevri tradition of clay pots used to create delicious, unfiltered, organic wines.

Source

New Georgian carrier, Eurasian Airways, eyes Europe-Asia market

12.06.2013 (Hvino Tour News) Eurasian Airways is a new Georgian airline that plans to use Tbilisi as an intermediate hub for passenger and cargo flights between Europe, the Middle East and Asia, reports Swiss aviation resource ch-aviation. Eurasian Airways will also aim to "incorporate the rapidly expanding markets in the Caspian, Black Sea and Caucasus region markets." At this point in time, however, no exact network or fleet plans have been divulged.

Eurasian Airways has a registered domain name eurasianairways.com (domain owner's name is Nikoloz  Medzmariashvili), bu the site is currently unreachable. HTN could not find additional information.

© HTN (Hvino Tour News)

Flow of tourists in Mestia grows after a failed winter season

07.06.2013 (Hvino Tour News) Flow of visitors increased by 50% compared to previous months. After a failed winter season the local hoteliers talk about increased number of visitors.

According to  the administration of Tetnuldi hotel,  compared with the previous months,  the number of tourists has  increased by 50%.  Summer season is already open and 40% of rooms are booked. Japanese, French and German tourists prevail over locals in the resort. The hotel management says that prices are similar to last year: a price of a single rooms is 140GEL, while a double room costs 180 GEL. This price includes two meals a day as well.

Mestia Hotel also talks about increase of visitors. The hotel management notes that compared with
the previous months the flow of visitors increased by 50%. As for the prices, Mestia's management reduced prices to attract clients, and a double room now costs 100 GEL instead of 120 GEL.

© HTN (Hvino Tour News)

Giorgi Sigua appointed as new head of Georgian Tourism Administration

07.06.2013 (Hvino Tour News) Giorgi Sigua was appointed as head of the National Tourism Administration of Georgia. He was presented by First Deputy Minister of Economy Dimitri Kumsishvili.

Previously Mr. Sigua was member of Georgian parliament, where he was deputy chairman of Committee on regional policy.

Position of head of the National Tourism Administration has been vacant since January 2013, after Maya Sidamonidze's resignatuion (see Director of National Tourism  Agency leaves her post)

© HTN (Hvino Tour News)

Number of foreign visitors of Georgia grew by 32% over first months of 2013

06.06.2013. During the first four months of 2013, the number of international travellers in the country amounted to 1,291,593, which is 32% more in comparison with the same period of 2012. The number was 978,521 in the same period of the previous year. Visitors from neighbouring countries occupy the largest share of these increased figures. Georgia plans to host over 5 million visitors by the end of 2013.

The number of incoming international travellers from neighbouring countries amounted to 1,159,009 which is 285,486 higher than in the first four months of last year (a 33% increase). The number of Russian travellers also increased this year. Georgia hosted 57,395 Russian travellers more this year, 77% more than in the same period of last year. Travellers from Ukraine, Egypt, Iraq and Iran also increased.

“Political stability, transportation, impressions from previous visits and marketing activities in which our administration is engaged are the main factors causing this increased number of international visitors,” according to Rusudan Mamatsashvili, Head of the Planning and Development Department at the Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA).

New airline services opened from Tbilisi to Baghdad, Iraq, and to Simferopol, Ukraine

03.06.2013 (HTN - Hvino Tour News). On May 30 FlyGeorgia inaugurated Tbilisi – Baghdad service, with twice weekly operation on board Airbus A319 aircraft. The service will start from late May.

Ukrainian Air Onix from June 3th opens service between Tbilisi and Simferopol (Crimea, Ukraine).  It is also twice weekly operation, on board Boeing-737 aircraft.

© HTN (Hvino Tour News)

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.