Caucasus column
Author: Dietrich Schartner
Georgia is experiencing an economic upturn in 2025, which is largely driven by the dynamic tourism sector.
After the pandemic-related slump in recent years, incoming tourism has recovered and reached new highs: In 2024, just under five million international tourists visited the country, a figure that is back on a par with 2019. Foreign currency income from tourism is expected to reach around USD 4.5 billion in 2024, a significant increase on the previous year. This makes tourism one of the most important sources of income for Georgia and directly contributes around 7.2 percent to the gross domestic product - if the indirect effects are included, the share is even over 25 percent.
The largest group of international tourists in 2024 came from Russia, followed by Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is particularly noteworthy that Russia remains the most important country of origin despite the tense political relations: In 2024, around 1.42 million Russian tourists traveled to Georgia. Many visitors also come from other neighboring countries such as Turkey (over 1.3 million) and Armenia (just under 950,000), while the number of guests from Western countries such as Germany and Poland is increasing, but is significantly lower compared to neighboring countries.
The Georgian government is specifically promoting eco and cultural tourism to make the country attractive to various target groups. The liberal entry policy - many countries, including the EU, Russia, the USA and China, can visit Georgia visa-free - facilitates travel and further strengthens tourism.
Overall, Georgia remains the most visited country in the Caucasus and benefits sustainably from the growing number of visitors.
For the Georgian economy, the tourism boom not only means more foreign currency, but also new jobs, investments and a strengthened infrastructure. The largest tourist group - Russian guests - continues to play a key role in shaping the industry, while the country is making efforts to increase its attractiveness for other international target groups.
