BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 30
By Tamilla Mammadova - Trend:
Georgia is striving to become one of the very first countries that open doors to foreign tourists after months of lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic, Trend reports referring to Georgian media.
Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava said that the Georgian tourism industry has been particularly affected as a result of the crisis caused by the pandemic and it needs a special approach.
"We are actively working with the World Tourism Organization [WTO] to ensure that under strict guidelines, the Georgian tourism market will be safe and one of the first to welcome foreign tourists. Of course, this is possible only under tight control", said Turnava.
According to the minister, the government has been helping the tourism industry with various benefits and programs since the first day of the crisis, but this is no longer enough.
"The tourism industry needs some time to become as profitable and attractive as it was before the crisis. At the same time, we are quite optimistic that Georgia will be one of the first countries to defeat the epidemic and open its borders," Turnava said.
The minister added that the tourism sector needs special support to overcome the challenges it faces today and that the government is working on a tourism support program that includes anti-crisis measures as well as future incentives.
Meanwhile, Georgia is extending the shutdown on regular air traffic until May 10 following the extension of the state of emergency. Starting from March 21, Georgia completely shut down air traffic in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The Georgian Civil Aviation Agency said that the decision to relaunch regular air traffic will be made following the recommendations of the health agencies.
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