BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
Israel may be the first country from which Georgia will welcome tourists after flight bans are lifted, said Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia at a government meeting, Trend reports citing Georgian media.
Gakharia noted the importance of getting the tourism sector back on its feet.
"We have to get back to normal life soon but I would like to emphasize that we need to draw conclusions from this crisis and turn this crisis into an opportunity for our country, not only in tourism but also in agriculture,” said Gakharia.
He added that Georgia is negotiating with other countries including the Czech Republic, Poland, the Baltic states, Austria and Georgia’s neighboring countries.
About 20 air companies want to resume flights with Georgia, said Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava adding that the dates and destinations will be known soon.
Among the air companies which want to resume flights with Georgia are Wizz Air, Ryanair, Turkish Airlines, El Al and Qatar Airways.
Turnava said implementing guidelines to observe safety rules in tourism is critical, and that social distancing and other hygienic measures must be observed.
She noted that in parallel with the World Tourism Organization (WTO), Georgia is also working to implement guidelines with the recommendations of the country’s Ministry of Health.
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