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Tskhaltubo Needs a New Strategy to Attract Tourists as Visitor Numbers Decline
Unlocking the full tourism potential of Tskhaltubo and extending the length of visitors' stays remain among the primary challenges for the resort's development. Amid declining tourist inflows in the post-pandemic period, diversifying the tourism product and developing new infrastructure have taken centre stage.
According to Teona Kobuladze, Executive Director of the Tskhaltubo Development Group, interest in spa and medical tourism at the resort remains strong; however, a significant share of guests stay in Tskhaltubo for only one or two nights.
Kobuladze stated that while existing spa and wellness centres welcome visitors, health tourism alone is not sufficient for the resort to attract more guests year-round and extend their length of stay.
In her view, advancing Tskhaltubo requires expanding its tourism offerings and developing segments such as adventure and agritourism. Engaging the tourism resources of surrounding villages is also being considered as part of this process.
Speaking on the Sakmis Kursi broadcast, Teona Kobuladze pointed out that natural scenery and a renovated park are not enough on their own for Tskhaltubo. It is essential to create a tourism environment that motivates vacationers to stay for longer periods.
According to her assessment, achieving this requires designing a tourism development strategy, shaping targeted marketing policies, and delivering projects that make the resort more appealing to both tourists and investors.
Earlier in a media interview, Teona Kobuladze addressed the rehabilitation of former sanatoriums, noting that converting them into hotels opens up major opportunities. However, simply restoring the buildings will not suffice for the resort's economic progress.
She believes that investments must be paired with the creation of additional tourist and entertainment spaces, as well as educational attractions.
According to LEPL Legislative Herald of Georgia, the 2026 budget documents of the Tskhaltubo municipality outline plans for promoting the resort, advertising in target markets, fostering sustainable tourism, and executing projects tailored to visitors' needs.
On 8 November, BM.GE published another statement by Teona Kobuladze on the matter. According to her, the Tskhaltubo municipality comprises 42 villages, some of which face serious infrastructure challenges. Kobuladze reported that 11 highland villages in the municipality lack fibre-optic internet access and have no municipal public transport.
In the same statement, she touched upon challenges in the tourism sector, pointing out a shortage of entertainment, recreational, and educational amenities in the town.
In October 2026, the National Agency of State Property re-announced privatization auctions for 10 former sanatoriums in Tskhaltubo. The total starting privatization price for the properties is 49.2 million GEL, with a minimum investment commitment of 314.013 million GEL from investors.
However, as Teona Kobuladze points out, the return on these investments should not rely solely on building hotels: the entire tourism ecosystem of the resort must be developed.
Whether Tskhaltubo can transform from a historic balneological spa into a modern, multi-profile tourism destination remains to be seen — and will depend on well-planned transformations delivered on schedule.