Georgia’s tourism campaign booms following standoff with Russia

Global Business

How protests in Tbilisi led to an economic spat with MoscowDemonstrators with Georgian national flags gather in front of the Georgian parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, Monday, July 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)

Moscow’s flight ban in July slashed the number of Russian tourists visiting Georgia by more than 20% in the first two weeks. While the drop took its toll on the tourism industry, some young entrepreneurs saw it as an opportunity.

They launched a program, called Spend Your Summer in Georgia. It’s been wildly successful and has drawn visitors from all over the world. Nanuka Danelia spoke to Keta Goletiani, one of the program’s co-founders, and asked her how the campaign got started.

Protests in Tbilisi, Georgia have led to an economic spat with Moscow.

CGTN’s Nanuka Danelia has more.

Georgia’s economy has had a challenging few weeks, especially as tensions with Russia escalated. It all started on June 20th, with what seemed like a typical parliamentary session.

But no one knew it would trigger one of the biggest street demonstrations in the capital, Tbilisi.

The protests began after a controversial visit by Russian lawmaker Sergei Gavrilov, who addressed the Georgian Parliament from the speaker’s chair.

His faux pas was speaking Russian to delegates.