Georgia’s hotel and restaurant sectors closed out 2025 on a remarkably strong note, with cashless spending via TBC Bank’s payment channels posting double-digit growth in December. According to the latest TBC Capital consumer spending review, rising international visitation and strong domestic demand drove robust year-on-year gains, particularly among foreign visitors.
Hotels: International Tourists in the Lead
Cashless hotel expenditures in December 2025 climbed 40 percent compared with December 2024, with the average transaction value reaching GEL 536.
The standout trend was the dominance of non-resident spending:
• Non-residents accounted for 86 percent of all cashless hotel transactions, with an average spend of GEL 724, significantly higher than the resident average.
• Residents made up just 14 percent of total hotel spending and spent an average of GEL 201 per transaction, though this still represented a 14 percent year-on-year increase.
• Non-resident spending grew 46 percent year-on-year, outpacing the rise in domestic hotel spending and underscoring the expanding role of international tourism.
TBC Capital highlighted these figures as evidence of tourism’s growing importance for the hotel sector, where foreign visitors contribute most of the cashless revenues.
Restaurants: Tourism Drives Transaction Values and Growth
The strong performance extended to dining, with cashless restaurant expenditures rising 42 percent year-on-year in December. The average restaurant transaction was GEL 36.
Spending patterns diverged distinctly by customer type:
• Residents accounted for 68 percent of restaurant spend, with an average transaction of GEL 27, up 26 percent from December 2024.
• Non-resident diners comprised 32 percent of spending, but their average transaction value soared to GEL 140, nearly five times greater than residents’ spending.
• Non-resident restaurant spending surged 94 percent year-on-year, highlighting substantial growth in tourism-driven dining demand.
TBC Capital noted that this contrast in transaction values reflects both the higher spending power of international visitors and strong tourism-related activity in Georgia’s restaurant sector toward the end of 2025.
Tourism Underpins Broader Consumer Trends
These sectoral patterns align with Georgia’s broader tourism strategy and performance. The country’s National Tourism Strategy 2025 targets a significant rise in international arrivals and spending, aiming for an average spend of USD 600 per visitor by 2025, nearly double the 2015 baseline.
Economic forecasters also view tourism as a key driver of Georgia’s growth in 2026, with strong foreign exchange inflows and stable currency conditions expected to support consumption and investment. Analyses forecasting continued expansion of foreign spending through digital payment channels further underline the importance of this demand.
What This Means for the Georgian Economy
For investors and industry leaders, the December data offers several insights:
• Tourism remains a core growth engine for Georgia’s hospitality and dining sectors, with non-resident spending significantly elevating average transaction values.
• Digital payment adoption is deepening, as reflected in the share and value of cashless transactions at hotels and restaurants.
• Domestic consumption, while modest in size relative to foreign demand, shows steady growth, indicating resilient local consumer activity.
Key Highlights
Cashless Hotel Spending (Dec 2025)
• Total cashless spending up 40 percent year-on-year
• Non-residents: 86 percent share, average spend GEL 724, up 46 percent
• Residents: 14 percent share, average spend GEL 201, up 14 percent
Cashless Restaurant Spending (Dec 2025)
• Total non-cash restaurant spending up 42 percent year-on-year
• Residents: 68 percent share, average spend GEL 27, up 26 percent
• Non-residents: 32 percent share, average spend GEL 140, up 94 percent
Sectoral Trends
• International demand driving elevated spending power and transaction values
• Restaurant and hospitality sectors benefiting from broader tourism growth
By Team GT
