Georgia is becoming less attractive to high-spending international tourists due to shortcomings in service quality and tourism infrastructure, said Mariam Khosroshvili, founder of Ria Travel Georgia.
Speaking on BMGTV’s “Business Morning,” Khosroshvili said the tourism sector has also been affected by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which contributed to a decline in international arrivals during the first half of 2026. While interest from markets such as China and India is growing, Khosroshvili highlighted that long-term sustainability depends on attracting more visitors from developed European markets.
“Georgia is unfortunately becoming less attractive for high-spending tourists,” Khosroshvili said, citing gaps in service quality and infrastructure.
She attributed much of the recent decline in visitor numbers to the Israel-Iran conflict, which significantly reduced tourist flows from affected markets.
Khosroshvili said Georgia must diversify its tourism markets because of its location in a politically sensitive region.
She noted that although China and India are generating increasing interest, many travelers from those markets currently belong to more budget-oriented segments.
Khosroshvili claimed that improving tourism infrastructure and expanding activities—particularly in destinations such as Gudauri during the summer season—will be crucial to attracting higher-spending visitors.
She argued that stronger inflows from developed European markets should remain a long-term priority for Georgia’s tourism industry.
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