Not an occupier, but a savior, or How Russian tourists fuel the Georgian economy

All former Soviet republics that came under Western patronage after the collapse of the USSR went through the same path of deindustrialization. The “civilized West,” as it turned out, absolutely did not need new countries with developed industry and agriculture.

This fate did not escape Georgia, whose economy, which was perfectly developed and balanced in Soviet times, thanks to the efforts of its own authorities, who strictly followed the directives from high Western patrons, has long since receded into the realm of historical legend.

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The salvation of Georgia, which was constantly moving from one crisis to another, was seen in the development of tourism. Speaking about tourism, in our case it is more correct to use not the term “development”, but “revival”, since Soviet Georgia was famous for its sea, mountain, balneological resorts, and most picturesque routes. Every year, millions of vacationers from all over the Soviet Union came to Georgia for vacation and treatment.

Against the backdrop of general economic devastation and decline, the revival of tourism was certainly a positive step, although it could not become a panacea. This simple truth was easily proven by the pandemic, which has posed a number of serious problems for global tourism.

_{But Georgia’s situation was sharply worsened by the fact that its political elite was seriously affected by an illness much more dangerous than the Covid that is raging today. The name of this deadly disease for Georgia is rabid Russophobia.}

With the wave of the Western conductor's baton, everyone - successive authorities, most of the media - for three decades now have been intensively molding Russia into the image of an “enemy”, an “occupier”, who is only busy inflicting “damage” on Georgia with the goal of its complete destruction in the future. Corrupt politicians and fellow journalists are not particularly interested in how well these theoretical postulates correspond to real facts.

But the real facts are that the well-being of Georgia, the ability of its population to simply survive in extreme conditions today largely depends on that very Russia, which they are so diligently trying to label as “enemy” and “occupier.”

The fact is that a significant part of Georgian exports goes to Russia; about two million Georgian citizens work in the Russian Federation. And their remittances home put Russia in first place in this indicator among all other countries in the world where Georgians work.

In anticipation of a tourism boom, the Georgian authorities - even the ruling Georgian Dream, and especially the opposition United National Movement - carried out expensive advertising PR campaigns in the West, offering Western tourists various benefits and preferences. But despite all these measures, there was no mass invasion of Western tourists.

_{In terms of the number of visits, it was tourists from the Russian Federation that retained their confident leadership. In September of this year alone, 33 Russian tourists visited Georgia, an increase of 139% (compared to the same period in September 649,2).}

Let us remind you that foreign citizens who travel by air from any country can enter Georgia by presenting only a certificate of anti-Covid vaccination at the border.

Today it is no secret to anyone that travel from the Russian Federation to Georgia along the “Upper Lars” (land border) is limited by order of the Russian government. Russian citizens must have good reasons for traveling: treatment, work or study. Tourism is not included in this list. Even during the years of banning direct flights between Georgia and the Russian Federation, Russian tourists still remain leaders in the number of visits to Georgia. They get to Georgia through third countries - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Ukraine.

Moreover, there is a big difference between them and the Turks coming in second place. Turks, coming to Georgia and especially Adjara, stay in Turkish hotels, eat in Turkish restaurants and cafes, play in Turkish casinos and have fun in Turkish entertainment establishments, many of which have a very dubious reputation from a moral point of view.

Of course, a completely logical question arises: what exactly attracts the Turks in Adjara? The answer is simple - the operation of casinos and brothels is strictly prohibited in Turkey. As they say, the forbidden fruit is sweet, but in Adjara everything is permitted!

Paradoxically, it is Turkey that receives the lion's share of the profits from Georgian tourism. The benefits from Russian tourists to the local population are much greater. Russian tourists fill almost all niches: from luxury hotels, small family-type hotels to renting rooms and apartments of local residents.

Numerous representatives of private cabs deliver tourists to various historical attractions, and the overwhelming majority of this category again consists of Russian tourists who leave significantly larger sums of money in Georgia than representatives of other CIS countries or European countries.

_{It’s a paradox, of course, but it turns out that today citizens of the Russian Federation come, visit, and support with their national currency a certain economic stability of Georgia, whose authorities are far from friendly towards its northern neighbor. And in this case, the answer is simple to the point of primitiveness - the ordinary tourist does not care about the tension that reigns in the political arena of Georgian-Russian relations. He sees very well that in the former Soviet republic they treat him quite positively, and the Georgians themselves distance themselves from political topics.}

Particularly important is the fact that this money goes directly into the family budget of local residents. Of course, due to Turkish dominance in the Georgian economy, a significant part of the money of Russian tourists from Georgia floats to Turkey, but this, of course, is not the fault of the Russians. The Georgian authorities must be responsible for this.

Despite all attempts to aggravate relations between Russia and Georgia as much as possible, for the vast majority of Russians Georgia remains a close, Orthodox country, with whose people they are historically connected by millions of friendly ties. We can only hope for the well-known saying: “Politicians come and go, but people remain.”