BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 2
Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
Cooperation between the public and private sectors will be critical in the development of Georgia's long-term aviation strategy, said Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Mariam Kvrivishvili, Trend reports via Georgian media.
“Of course, the country needs a specific vision and plan for the development of the aviation industry. It is important that there is a document that will be announced for both the domestic and international markets. This is a process of bilateral cooperation, which should take into account the vision of the private sector and, ultimately, achieve so that the visions of the state and the private sector coincide, since these are common interests," Kvrivishvili said.
According to her, the country's long-term aviation strategy is a kind of guarantee for potential investors, small and medium-sized businesses, since this is a clear path to what the country is striving for in terms of developing a specific industry.
Kvrivishvili stressed that the development of aviation has a direct impact on strengthening the tourism industry and, of course, the transport sector itself. And this will be directly reflected in the income that every citizen of Georgia will receive.
Georgian tourism has been hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. The share of tourism in the Georgian economy before COVID-19 was about 10 percent.
Last year, tourism revenues dropped to an incredibly low level - $427,700, with the number of international travelers at 1.7 million.
In the first four months of 2021, the number of international visitors amounted to 220,400, which is 90.3 percent less than in the same period in 2019.
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