Transforming Tskaltubo into Modern World-Class Spa Destination

The Government has plans for the unique resort of Tskaltubo. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated in his speech during the presentation of the New Life of Tskaltubo investment project.

According to the Head of Government, the plan is finalized and maximally reflects the uniqueness of Tskaltubo.

"Let me remind you briefly that the unsolved ownership issue regarding these unique water resources was the key problem. In particular, they were owned by an individual. In our decision, a few months ago we bought out these resources, and the state became their official owner, an event anticipated by many investors and individuals interested in the development of Tskaltubo.

Another important issue I want to point out is the approval of the master plan. The plan is finalized. And we, of course, have taken Tskaltubo's uniqueness into account to the best of our ability. I want to remind everyone that the development of Tskaltubo follows the scientifically documented master plan from the 1930s. As a result, twenty-two sanatoria have been built, with several of them being monuments of architecture, and over 150 deciduous and coniferous species of plants have been planted. And all this is arranged in the form of an amphitheater.

Consequently, our vision, our plan is to launch the process of Tskaltubo's revival. As you know, this was the promise made by our ruling party, our team. And now all the issues above have been solved, including those related to water resources, the master plan, and others.

Everything is in place, and we are offering for sale fourteen sanatoria valued at 50 million GEL, based on current assessments. And we expect about 500 million GEL to be invested in Tskaltubo's revival. Of course, these will be private investments. But the state also pledges to invest additional tens of millions of GEL to transform Tskaltubo into a modern world-class spa destination, similar to what we have seen in Europe, such as Baden-Baden, Karlovy Vary, and others. Tskaltubo has the potential to become a European- and world-class spa destination.

The Government is doing everything to ensure the resort's development and streamlined operation of its infrastructure. Our Government has already carried out important reconstruction work resulting in quadrupling the capacity of Kutaisi International Airport. As you know, the geographic closeness of the Central East-West Highway is an additional advantage in favor of Tskaltubo. All this in combination-and, most importantly, Tskaltubo's uniqueness, such as nature, water, etc.-offers an enormous advantage to this resort. In 2019, Tskaltubo had only 25,000 visitors. But we expect their numbers to grow tenfold in a matter of years. All this will have a positive impact on the economy of the municipality and the region as a whole, also on the well-being of our population. Through joint efforts of the private sector and the Government, we have the ambition to turn Tskaltubo into a modern, 21st-century destination with a rich historical heritage," Irakli Garibashvili said.

The investment project was presented to the public by Vice Prime Minister/Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili.

The implementation of the project will build on such key priorities as maintaining the resort's identity and authenticity, ensuring sustainable development and international significance, and transforming the area into an attractive habitat.

The project seeks to create a unique modern spa destination in Tskaltubo, also to promote medical tourism, pitch a variety of tourist offers, and rehabilitate the city's center and public areas.

Tskaltubo will offer its guests not only unique thermal waters, but also top-notch vacationing opportunities, an eco-friendly and healthy environment, and natural monuments distinguishing not only Tskaltubo and Imereti but also all of Georgia.

The implementation of the large-scale Tskaltubo project will create over 3,200 jobs, and over 6,000 available beds, also attracting 500 million GEL in investments and significantly increasing the number of visitors.