Georgia’s tourism industry has lost at least $44.3 million due to a decline in the number of Russian tourists in July, the head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration Mariam Kvirivishvili said in an interview with the Georgian Interpressnews news agency on Tuesday, Tass reports.
Georgia suffers losses due to decline in Russian tourism in July
STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 7, ARTSAKHPRESS: This is what "small and medium-sized hotels, cafes and restaurants, tour operators, people offering different tourist services" have failed to earn, Kvirivishvili said.
Prior to a temporary ban on direct flights between Georgia and Russia that came into effect on July 8, the Georgian authorities had expected the tourist flow from Russia to double.
To ensure Russian citizens’ safety, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree imposing a temporary ban on passenger flights to Georgia from July 8. On June 22, Russia’s Transport Ministry announced that starting on July 8, flights by Georgian airlines to Russia would be halted.
