Data from the National Bank of Georgia reported that the country’s tourism sector demonstrated relative resilience in the first quarter of 2026, with revenues increasing slightly despite a decline in visitor numbers from main Middle Eastern markets.
Total tourism revenues reached $830 million in Q1, a modest year-on-year increase of 0.5%. Over the same period, the country recorded approximately 1.17 million international visitors, a marginal decline of 0.2% compared to the previous year.
The overall performance was influenced by a sharp drop in arrivals and spending from Israel and Iran, reflecting the early effects of regional geopolitical tensions. The number of visitors from Iran fell by 49% to 13,757, while arrivals from Israel declined by 17.5% to 66,744. Correspondingly, spending by Israeli visitors decreased by 13% to $98.9 million, while Iranian tourism revenues dropped significantly by 64% to $10 million.
At the same time, growth in other markets helped offset these losses. Visitor numbers from the European Union increased by 30% to 96,226, with associated spending rising by 36% to $140.7 million. Saudi Arabia also recorded notable growth, with arrivals up 36% to 8,862 visitors and tourism revenues increasing by 48% to $12.9 million, although analysts note that future quarters may reflect broader regional impacts.
