Georgia’s tourism industry saw a significant boost in the first quarter of 2025, with Israel emerging as a key contributor to the sector’s growth.
According to the latest data from the National Bank of Georgia, tourism revenues from Israeli visitors skyrocketed by 73.7% compared to the same period last year, reaching $114.2 million. This surge coincided with a 72.9% increase in the number of Israeli travelers, totaling 80,896 visits between January and March.
Israel wasn’t the only country to show strong growth. Neighboring Azerbaijan also posted an impressive 19.8% jump in revenue, while Saudi Arabia recorded a 12.3% increase, indicating a broader regional trend of rising interest in Georgia as a travel destination.
Despite some declines from key markets like Russia (-17.2%), Turkey (-8.8%), and the European Union (-4.8%), the overall tourism revenue for Georgia in the first quarter hit $826 million, marking a 2.3% year-on-year increase.
Here’s how tourism revenue from Georgia’s top source countries stacked up in Q1 2025:
• Russia: $141.8 million (↓17.2%)
• Israel: $114.2 million (↑73.7%)
• Turkey: $107.1 million (↓8.8%)
• European Union: $103.2 million (↓4.8%)
• Azerbaijan: $48.6 million (↑19.8%)
• Ukraine: $33.7 million (↑2%)
• Armenia: $28.2 million (↓10%)
• Iran: $27.2 million (↓8%)
• Belarus: $15.9 million (↓3.8%)
• Saudi Arabia: $8.7 million (↑12.3%)
• Other countries: $197.4 million (↑6%)
The data shows shifting trends in source markets, with growing reliance on regional and Middle Eastern countries to offset lower revenues from some of Georgia’s largest historical partners.
By Team GT
