Content |
The main articles are:
2025
Growth of Georgia's income from foreign tourists by 6% to $4.7 billion
Revenues Georgia from international travelers in 2025 amounted to about $4.7 billion. This is stated in the materials on the website of the National Bank of Georgia in January 2026. According to the National Bank, compared to 2024, revenues in 2025 increased by 6%. Tourism in Georgia, began to recover from the recession due to the pandemic from the summer of 2021. Tourism revenues in 2024 exceeded the record figures for 2019 by 35.4%. Georgia broke the record for tourist visits in 2025.[1]
Russia remained in first place in terms of tourist flow to Georgia - 1.6 million people
In January 2026, the National Tourism Administration of Georgia published statistics on the inbound tourist flow for 2025. Russian citizens retained leadership in the number of visits to the country.
According to the ministry, 1.6 million Russians visited Georgia during the reporting period. This figure exceeded the result of 2024 by 11.1%. The total number of foreign travelers reached 7.8 million, an increase of 5.9%. Of this number, 5.5 million trips were made for tourism, which means an increase of 8.4% in this segment.
Key markets showed significant growth. A record number of visits from the countries of the European Union and Great Britain was received - almost 500 thousand, which is 14% more than in 2024.
A historical maximum for visits from the Gulf states was also set - 145.5 thousand visits with an increase of 3.4%. Dynamic inflow growth was recorded from Saudi Arabia (+ 9.1%), Israel (+ 29.4%), Azerbaijan (+ 33.2%) and China (+ 44.4%).
The sector continues to show recovery from the period of decline caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The financial indicators of the industry consistently exceed pre-crisis levels. According to the National Tourism Administration of Georgia, tourism revenues in 2024 surpassed the 2019 record by 35.4%. In 2023, this income amounted to $4.1 billion, which is 26.2% higher than in 2019.
The previous year, 2024, was also a record for the number of tourist visits. The country has welcomed about 7.4 million international travelers, up 4.2% from 2023. Of these, 5.1 million people were tourists, and the number of tourist trips increased by 9%. These data confirm the continuation of the positive trend of Georgia's achievement of high indicators in inbound tourism.[2]
2024
Tourism revenue growth by 7.3% to $4.4 billion
In 2024, Georgia's tourism revenues reached $4.4 billion, a record high. This is 7.3% more compared to 2023, when the volume of corresponding revenues was estimated at $4.1 billion. Such data at the end of January 2025 was published by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of the country.
It is noted that the growth was largely facilitated by tourists from Russia. In 2024, travelers from the Russian Federation spent about $647.7 million in Georgia. According to this indicator, Russia ranks first among all countries from where guests come to Georgia with short visits, including for the purpose of recreation. In 2024, about 1.42 million Russians visited Georgia, which is 0.2% more compared to 2023.
In second place Turkey in terms of the number of tourists and expenses is: in 2024, 1.34 million citizens of this country visited Georgia, spending a total of $612.3 million during such trips. Closes the top three Israel with 310.98 thousand tourists and costs in the amount of $436.5 million.
In general, in 2024, the flow of tourists to Georgia was recorded at the level of 7.4 million international travelers. This is about 60% of the indicators that were observed before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, in 2019, approximately 9.3 million tourists visited Georgia. However, the total revenues from tourism then turned out to be at around $3.3 billion. Revenue growth in 2024 was due to an increase in the number of travelers from the EU countries: 571.2 thousand guests from the EU spent a total of $438.4 million in Georgia.
It is noted that tourism is a backbone sector of the Georgian economy. The country's authorities predict that by 2028, annual tourism revenues will amount to $6.4 billion. Georgia has an open skies policy for airlines, including air carriers from Russia.[3]
Russian tourist flow to Georgia increased by 0.2% to 1.42 million people and remained the largest
The National Tourism Administration of the Ministry of Economy of Georgia in mid-January 2025 reported an increase in the number of tourists from Russia by 0.2% to 1.42 million people in 2024. This made it possible to maintain a leading position among all countries in the number of tourist visits.
According to Interfax, the total volume of tourist visits to Georgia increased by 9% to 5.09 million. The second place in the number of tourists was taken by Turkey with 1.34 million visits, showing a decrease of 4.3%, the third place - Armenia with 948.3 thousand visits, reducing the figure by 1.5%.
In the fourth quarter of 2024, 1.57 million international travelers visited the country, which is 2.5% more than in the same period in 2023. The number of visits for tourism purposes increased by 8.4% to 1.1 million.
According to the largest Georgian investment bank Galt & Taggart, the country's tourism revenues in 2024 increased by 5.5% to $4.4 billion. Georgian authorities planned to reach $4.5 billion.
 | In 2024, the total number of foreign visitors to Georgia increased by 4.2% and reached 7.37 million people, the National Tourism Administration said. |  |
This value turned out to be lower than the 7.9 million expected by the authorities, but exceeded the 2023 figure of 7.07 million international travelers, which in turn was 30.3% higher than the result of 2022.
Georgia continues to be one of the popular tourist destinations for Russian travelers, despite a slight increase in tourist flow. The country attracts tourists with a rich cultural heritage, gastronomic traditions and developed tourist infrastructure. The stable growth of the international tourist flow indicates the restoration of the tourist industry of Georgia and its attractiveness for travelers from different countries.[4]
2023
Russian tourist flow to Georgia increased by 31.1% to 1.18 million people
In 2023, the Russian tourist flow to Georgia reached 1.18 million people, which is 31.1% more than a year earlier. This is evidenced by data from the National Statistics Service of Georgia, published at the end of January 2024.
Russians in 2023 accounted for 23.2% of foreign tourists who visited Georgia. In second place in this indicator is Turkey (21.4%), in third - (Armenia 13.5%). The total number of foreign visitors in 2023 reached 5.1 million. This is 27.8% more than in the previous year.
A visitor means a traveler - not a resident of Georgia, at least 15 years old, who paid a visit to Georgia for a period of less than one year. This category does not take into account citizens who have come for employment, diplomats accredited in Georgia, employees of the Armed Forces, as well as persons who often cross the border due to a kind of activity or other circumstances. As for tourist visits, about 4.7 million of them were made in 2023 (an increase of 27.8%).
Basically, Georgia was visited in 2023 for the purpose of recreation and entertainment, this is 52.3% of the total number of visits. People also came to visit friends and relatives (20.4%), performing transit to another country (12.8%), in connection with professional activities (6.8%), shopping (5.4%) and for the purpose of treatment (0.5%).
According to the National Statistics Service of Georgia, the situation with the flow of tourists to the country could have been radically different if it had not been for the decision of the Azerbaijani leadership to completely close the land borders with all neighboring states (including Georgia) for an indefinite period due to the unresolved Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. Georgia's total tourism income in 2023 amounted to 12.9 billion lari ($4.98 billion). This is 20.5% more than in 2022.[5]
Opening of direct flights with Russia, despite pressure from the United States and the EU
Georgian Airways has received permission to fly with Russia and will fly to Moscow 7 times a week from May 20, the Georgian aviation regulator said.
Georgia in May 2023 also issued permission to the Russian airline Azimut to operate flights to the republic from May 17.
Georgia expects additional tourism profits of $300-400 million, thanks to direct flights with Russia, said the head of the country's Ministry of Economy Davitashvili.
2019: International tourism revenues - 37.2% of total exports of goods and services
Notes
- ↑ Georgia earned $4.7 billion on tourism
- ↑ Russians lead in the number of visits to Georgia
- ↑ Georgia's tourism revenues in 2024 rose to a record $4.4 billion
- ↑ Tourist flow to Georgia in 2024 increased by 9%, including from Russia - by 0.2%
- ↑ In 2023, most tourists to Georgia came from the Russian Federation
See also
| The site content is translated by machine translation software powered by PROMT. The machine-translated articles are not always perfect and may contain errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. Read original article If you find inaccuracies or errors in the results of machine translation, please write to editor@tadviser.ru. We will make every effort to correct them as soon as possible. |