Tourist flow from Russia to Georgia decreased by 100 000 people

According to the statistics of the Border Service of the FSB of Russia, 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: 74 000 Russians arrived in the country in the first quarter of 2019, 131 500 in the second quarter and 7 800 in the third quarter.  In general, despite the prohibition of direct flights from July 8, 2019, the decrease in tourist flow from January to September from Russia to Georgia amounted to only 3,5% (last year, 220 900 Russian travellers arrived for the same period). As the spokeswoman of the Russian Union of Travel Industry Irina Tyurina explained, this result is connected with significant increase of tourist flow to Georgia from January to July 2019. 

According to the Georgian National Tourism Administration, in January-September 2019, tourist flow from Russia decreased by 7,7%. At the same time, in September the decrease was 20,6% compared with the same month a year earlier. The Russians retain leadership in the share of foreign guests who have visited the Republic. At the same time, Georgian statistics also take into account those Russians who arrive in the country on transit flights.