Ajara’s Tourism Department Aims to Attract 6 Million Visitors by 2025

The Tourism Department of Ajara plans to expand the flow of tourists to the region to 6 million by 2025. To achieve this goal, an international advertising campaign has been planned, with 7.6 million GEL (approximately $2.7 million) allocated for promotional activities, reports Vesti Kavkaza.

Ajara boasts pristine beaches, mountain resorts, and nature reserves. However, the government believes the region’s full potential remains underappreciated. Many tourists see Ajara primarily as a seaside destination, unaware of the variety of leisure activities available.

Planned Campaigns and Initiatives

The department has announced a tender for international advertising and plans to promote the region through global tourism exhibitions, festivals, and conferences. Ajara will also host numerous events to stimulate domestic tourism.

A new promotional video will be filmed, and tourist guides will be published. Extensive research is also planned, including an analysis of the tourism industry, hotel occupancy rates, and the availability of accommodations on international booking platforms.

The decree for the advertising campaign was issued on January 6, 2025. Promotion activities targeting international and specific markets will include various channels such as television, online platforms, outdoor advertising, print media, and others, with a budget of 3.5 million GEL. Additional allocations include:

800,000 GEL for general tourism promotion and marketing campaigns.
520,000 GEL for participation in international exhibitions, conferences, and festivals.
700,000 GEL for developing domestic tourism initiatives.
450,000 GEL for masterclasses, expeditions, and service quality improvement events.
200,000 GEL for award ceremonies recognizing the best tourism services.
300,000 GEL for photography services.
500,000 GEL for creating promotional videos to highlight the region’s tourism potential.
150,000 GEL for preparing and printing informational materials, including brochures, guides, and directories.
60,000 GEL for statistical research on trends and accommodation availability across international platforms such as Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo, and Tripadvisor.

Ajara’s Tourism Achievements

In November, Batumi was recognized as Europe’s Leading All-Season Destination for 2024, a title awarded by the World Travel Awards. Ajara’s capital received similar recognition in 2023 and was previously named Europe’s Leading Emerging Tourism Destination from 2019 to 2022.

Batumi is also ranked among Europe’s top tourist destinations by European Best Destinations, a ranking determined by over 1 million travelers from 172 countries. The city earned praise for offering diverse opportunities for beach vacations, gastronomy, sightseeing, and sports. Additionally, Batumi was recognized as one of Europe’s best investment destinations, outperforming cities like Nice, Paris, and Milan in categories such as affordable real estate, minimal bureaucracy, low taxes, and a liberal economy.

Tourism Performance in 2023 and 2024

In 2023, Ajara recorded over 4.6 million visits from both Georgian residents and international tourists, a 20% increase compared to 2022 and a 10.4% rise above pre-pandemic levels. During Q3 2024, Ajara was the most visited region in Georgia, with 1.18 million visits, according to Georgia’s National Statistics Service.

In total, Georgia welcomed 2.8 million travelers in Q3 2024, a 2.5% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Tourism revenue reached 5.7 billion GEL (over $2 billion), an 18.1% increase compared to Q3 2023.

Over the first nine months of 2024, Georgia registered 5.8 million international visits, a 4.1% increase year-on-year. Among these, 3.9 million visits were for tourism purposes, a 9.2% rise from 2023. The largest numbers of tourists came from:

Russia: 1.1 million.
Turkey: 1.06 million.
Armenia: 732,000.
Visits from Israel rose significantly, by 25.8% to nearly 230,000. There was also notable growth in tourist arrivals from China, India, Uzbekistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Germany, and Kazakhstan.

Tourism Revenue and Projections

Tourism revenue in Georgia almost reached $1.6 billion in Q3 2024 and totaled $3.5 billion for January–September. The Georgian government anticipates that by 2028, the number of visitors will grow to 11 million, with tourism revenues reaching $6.4 billion.