The Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Natia Turnava and the Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture Levan Davitashvili signed an ecotourism strategy, the goal of which is to create, diversify, improve and develop quality ecotourism services and products across the country.
According to Minister Turnava, based on the strategy, by 2030, Georgia will be a leading ecotourism country in the Caucasus region, which will provide ecotourism offers year-round, taking into account its rich culture and nature, as well as high quality services.
“With the involvement of our Ministry, as well as the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture, the German government and the German Society for International Cooperation, we have developed a 10-year strategy for the development of ecotourism in Georgia,” Turnava said. “In general, it is important for the development of ecotourism to be in harmony with nature and cultural heritage. I would also like to mention that we recently approved a separate component promoting ecotourism under the Produce in Georgia program, which includes not only loan interest subsidies and guarantees, but also the allocation of grants, and this will be one of the most in-demand areas in the post-COVID period.”
The Strategy 2020-2030 was prepared by the National Tourism Administration with the support of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Agency for Protected Areas of the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture (APA) and the National Forestry Agency (NFA), as well as the Georgian Ecotourism Association.
The document defines the importance of ecotourism, the development of the green economy, as well as outlining goals and actions for 2021-2023 which will be implemented by the National Tourism Administration together with other agencies.
By Ana Dumbadze
