Tourism in Georgia: Revenue Growth Continues in Q1 2025

International tourism revenues in Georgia reached $300 million in March 2025, an 8.7% increase compared to March 2024, according to Galt & Taggart. For Q1 2025, total revenue hit $835 million, up 3.4% year-on-year, confirming continued momentum in the tourism sector.

In 2024, Georgia’s tourism revenue hit a record-high $4.43 billion, the largest amount in the last 14 years. Top source markets:
- Russia: $850M
- Turkey: $612M
- Israel: $194M (+41%)
- Saudi Arabia: $107M
- Armenia: $103M
- Azerbaijan
- Kazakhstan: $89M (+32%)
- India: +29%
- Germany: +24%
- China: +23%
- France: +20%

Tourist Arrivals and Diversification

According to Georgia’s National Tourism Administration, the country welcomed 7.36 million visitors in 2024 (+4.2% YoY). Of those, 5.1 million were tourists, representing a 9% increase.

Top five countries by visits:
- Russia: 1.4M+
- Turkey: 1.3M+
- Armenia: 948K
- Israel: 310K
- Azerbaijan: 219K

EU countries also showed stable growth, with Germany up 14.3% (to 78K visits).

Notably, Georgia saw surging interest from Asia and the Middle East:
- China: +83.4% (from 48K to 88K)
- India: +46.8% (to 124K)
- Saudi Arabia: +21% (to 88K)
- Uzbekistan: +23.4% (to 64K)

Aviation Boom and Infrastructure Growth

Georgia’s airports set new records in 2024:
- Total passengers: 7.45 million (+24%)
- Total flights: 32,528 (+29%)
- Tbilisi Airport: 4.75M passengers (+29%)
- Kutaisi: 1.72M (+3%)
- Batumi: 951.7K (+53%)

In January 2025, passenger flow rose another 13% YoY, with Batumi doubling to 57K passengers. Tbilisi saw 343.7K (+20%), while Kutaisi declined 16% due to terminal renovation. After upgrades, Kutaisi will handle all aircraft types and become a regional aviation hub.

Georgia also signed deals with 10 new airlines, launching 13 new routes. As of spring 2025, direct flights now connect Tbilisi to London, Paris, Milan, Geneva, and Zurich — favored destinations for high-spending tourists and business travelers.

2025 Outlook: Up to $4.7 Billion in Tourism Revenue

Galt & Taggart forecasts $4.5 billion in tourism revenue for 2025. Government officials are even more optimistic, projecting up to $4.7 billion.

Deputy Minister of Economy Mariam Kvrivishvili emphasized the state's focus on expanding public-private partnerships, improving service quality, and attracting high-spending visitors.