Georgia to Suffer Losses Due to Cancellation of Direct Flights with China and Iran

Georgia’s tourism sector will lose about 30 million lari per month (~US$10.79 million) following the ban on travel from China and Iran due to coronavirus, said Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava, Trend reports via Georgian media. "Depending on how long coronavirus crisis lasts, the damage will increase, but I hope the world will quickly deal with this challenge”, Turnava said.

Minister noted that as the coronavirus is a global challenge, the global economy, trade, aviation and tourism will be seriously damaged. "In Georgia we are doing our best to protect our citizens’ health, that is why we suspended flights from Iran and China”, Turnava said. She added that despite this challenge, the Georgian national currency lari is strengthening and the Georgian economy is growing. The number of visits by international travelers to Georgia hit a historic high and reached 9.35 million in 2019, which is an increase of 7.8% in comparison to 2018, says the Georgian National Tourism Administration. Around 48,071 visits were made from China to Georgia in 2019, which was 50.9% higher compared to 2018. As from Iran, 141,997 visits were made last year which was 51.2% lower than the previous year. -  Trend