Georgia to Host Major International Tourism Exhibition-Fair in 2022
It is a huge honor for Georgia to host the world’s biggest and most prestigious international tourism exhibition in 2022. This is a huge opportunity for branding our country, the National Tourism Administration Director Mariam Kvrivishvili told the Business Partner TV Program.
As noted, the International Tourism Exhibition of Germany (ITB Berlin) has approved Georgia’s hosting the world tourism industry’s major exhibition-fair in 2022.
Every year the world’s influential media agencies actively highlight the international tourism exhibition-fair in Germany. For three days, more than 5,000 international journalists cover the event.
As explained by Mariam Kvrivishvili, more than 200,000 visitors from over 180 countries attend the international tourism exhibition in Germany, and Georgia will gain access to more than 1 billion consumers. Moreover, the country will receive 37 million EUR PR and Marketing support from the exhibition’s organizers. However, the global branding of our country is the most important opportunity, she noted.
“As a host country, the biggest privilege is that in 2022, Georgia will ensure the branding of the whole exhibition, starting from incomes and ending with pavilion halls. The exhibition covers a space of several kilometers. The exhibition format has various halls on various themes. For example, there will be culture, sustainable tourism, adventure tourism, and other spaces. We will place special emphasis on all directions. However, the corresponding private sector, together with us, will engage in a working process to determine how to represent the country. This is a separate project and working process. We have two years ahead of us and, naturally, the working process will start today. Furthermore, we will expose all those competitive products that our country produces”, Mariam Kvrivishvili said.
As for the winter season, all four ski resorts are in good condition. Snow has covered all resorts, and tourist inflows are growing, Mariam Kvrivishvili noted.
“The statistics proves that 50% of tourists repeatedly visit our country, and this is a serious trend for our country. This year has recorded a lack of snow all over the world, including in Georgia, and this was one of the key challenges. Nevertheless, in January, the inflow of international travelers increased by about 20%, while the tourist visits grew by 19%. All four ski resorts are covered by snow, and the infrastructure is ready to host many more tourists. We have already visited Svaneti, where an unprecedented growth in tourists’ inflows is seen, fortunately for the countries, where we have carried out and continue active marketing campaigns. There are many tourists in Goderdzi, Bakuriani and Gudauri resorts. This trend will grow further. At this stage, everything is in order. We have good weather conditions. We have great infrastructure that will be able to host many more tourists”, Kvrivishvili noted.
As instructed by the Prime Minister, a special working group was established that has improved traffic management, transportation, and parking issues at ski resorts, she added.
“With the support of the Tbilisi City Hall, in Bakuriani the municipal transport provides free services to neutralize traffic jams. Distribution vehicles have also eased the situation, because we have moved to a specific plan. Patrol vehicles were added to all resorts to ensure a higher degree of security. We have arranged additional parking spaces. For example, in Bakuriani, about 300 new places were added near Didveli, and visitors are able to enjoy parking services free of charge, including at Kokhtagora, in the center of Bakuriani. We have implemented the same project in Gudauri. Naturally, various challenges arise everywhere, but all offices work mobilized to improve the quality of services at ski resorts”, Kvrivishvili said.
Water supply problems arose only in one settlement at Gudauri for 2-3 days, not in the whole resort. Holidaymakers were accommodated to nearby hotels, and no tourist has left the resort, as some media agencies spread misinformation, Mariam Kvrivishvili said.
“Together with our monitoring groups, we stayed in Gudauri all those days, and we had direct communication with hotels, Lower Gudauri, Upper Gudauri, New Gudauri. Naturally, it’s very bad that for several days, one of these zones could not receive water, however, the government managed to supply water through reservoirs. Therefore, the majority of holidaymakers have not faced water problems in those days. Furthermore, we contacted other hotels and, instead of leaving the resorts, tourists just altered accommodation places. Naturally, distinct hotels have faced regretful reality, but it is an exaggeration to say that tourists have left the resort”, Mariam Kvrivishvili told Business Partner TV program.