Georgian citizens will be able to visit Russia without visas, Russian airlines – to fly to Georgian airports, and tour operators – to organize tours to this country. The corresponding decree was signed by Vladimir Putin.

Since March 1, Russian tourists will be able to enter Georgia. For this they will need to provide a negative PCR test for coronavirus.

191 700 Russian citizens visited Georgia in January-August 2020, which is 5,5 times less than the figure for the same period in 2019.

Georgia expects to open a land border with Russia in August this year. In addition to land borders, the Georgian side is ready to resume direct flights to Russia.

Georgia marked the dates of its opening after the pandemic. According to them, the country will be opened for domestic tourism on June 1, and it will open the borders for international tourists on June 15.

In January-February, 139,2 thousand Russian citizens visited Georgia, which is 10,5% less than the figure for the same period in 2019.

Six months after Russia suspended direct flights to and from Georgia, the Caucasus country has recorded around 100 000 less Russian tourists than in the same period of 2018.

Independent Russian travelers named the countries in which they like to return most of all, Turkey was the leader.

A decision on lifting an ongoing Russian ban on flights to and from Georgia should not be expected by the end of the year. In the third quarter of 2019 Georgia has lost more than 100 000 tourists from the Russian Federation.

Russian airlines are looking for compensation from the government after the Kremlin’s ban on direct flights to Georgia. In the third quarter of 2019 Georgia has lost more than 100 000 tourists from the Russian Federation. Totally for three quarters of the year, 213 300 Russian tourists visited Georgia.

In the third quarter of 2019 Georgia has lost more than 100 thousand tourists from the Russian Federation. The decrease in tourist flow from January to September from Russia to Georgia amounted to 3,5%.

Experts from Aeroclub business tourism agency analyzed airline reservations made by business representatives from Russia over five years, and found out what trends changed in business trips to neighboring countries in 2019.

The Federal Air Transport Agency issued an admission to S7 Airlines for 7 flights a week to Kutaisi. This is the first admission of a Russian airline to flights to Georgia after the termination of flights to this country in June 2019.

The Russians retained their leadership in the number of foreign guests who visited Georgia, the total number of which in the first month of autumn amounted to 974 thousand people, which is 2,8% more than a year earlier.

According to the representative of the Russian State Duma Committee, there are no sufficient security guarantees for Russian tourists in Georgia and therefore there are no reasons for resuming flights there.

Other countries of the Transcaucasus, Armenia and Azerbaijan, where tour operators saw a noticeable increase, benefited from the closure of Georgia. Also, Turkey, the Black Sea coast of Russia and Abkhazia note an increase of the Russian tourist flow. This assessment was voiced at a press conference by the executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) Maya Lomidze

"108 210 tourists from Russia visited Georgia in July 2019 instead of 127 060 in July last year. The number of Russian tourists who came to Georgia by railway (via Baku) increased by 85% compared to the same period last year, by sea way - by 57,9% and land way - by 7,1 %. Accordingly, if in July last year 124 990 citizens of Russia drove along Vladikavkaz-Tbilisi highway, then this year already 133 830 Russians chose a car to go to Georgia. Almost 36% of the guests name vacation as the main purpose of their visit to Georgia, 21,6% - visiting friends and relatives and 15,5% - the desire to travel from Georgia to other countries."

Despite stark warnings for Russian tourists from their home country about safety issues in Georgia, following anti-Russian protests in Tbilisi, visitors in the Caucasus country remain largely unfazed by the situation. The flare-up in relations began when Georgian protesters tried to storm parliament in the capital, Tbilisi, last week.

In connection with the flight ban imposed by the Russian authorities, the tourist flow from Russia to Georgia will be reduced by 1 million tourists, which will significantly affect the economy of the Republic. This was reported by the head of the National Tourism Administration Mariam Kvrivishvili.  

On Friday, June 21, Putin forbade Russian airlines to fly to Georgia, and ordered the government to return tourists to Russia. The Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree banning Russian airlines to transport passengers from Russia to Georgia. Restrictions will take effect on July 8. Information about this is published on the official website of the Kremlin. In particular, the flights between countries should be suspended by such companies as S7, Aeroflot, Ural Airlines, Pobeda, Red Wings and Nordavia. 

Georgia estimated the economic consequences of the temporary suspension of direct flights from Russia. According to Georgian media reports, the tourism sector of Georgia will lose at least $ 100 million due to the suspension of direct flights from Russia. 

539.4 thousand citizens of Russia visited Georgia over January-May 2019 period, which is 14% more than in the same period of 2018, according to the National Tourism Administration of the Republic. 

In the 2019 season, the flow of tourists from the Russian regions to the beach resorts of Georgia increased. It is not surprising - Georgian hoteliers provide special offers. Prices for a week at a 3* hotel on BB start from 42 thousand Rubles (582 Euros) for two persons. The demand also increased by the launch of new direct flights to Batumi from regions. 

The new regular international flight has appeared in the timetable of the airport Platov. Starting from 07.06.2019 Pobeda Airlines will fulfil flights on the air crafts Boeing 737 to Batumi. This town is the Georgian resort on the Black sea coast.  There will be four flights a week: on Monday, Wednesday, Friday with departure at 16:00 and arrival time to Batumi at 18:30, on Saturday with departure at 13:00 and with arrival at 15:30 to Batumi.