Georgia sees surge in international visitors, Russians top list

The National Statistics Office of Georgia reported on Tuesday the country had seen the highest number of visitors last year, with 23.2 percent, totaling 1.2 million, originating from Russia. 

Georgia hosted 7.1 million arrivals in 2023, marking a 30.3 percent rise from the previous year. Turkey followed in second place with a share of 21.4%, while Armenia ranked third with a share of 13.5%.

Out of the total arrivals, 6.2 million were visits by international visitors, reflecting a 31.2 percent increase from 2022.

The number of international visitors in 2023 reached 5.1 million, up by 30.9 percent from the previous year. Among these, 4.7 million visits were categorized as tourist-type visits, showing a 27.8 percent increase compared to the previous year.

Of the international visitors, 75.2 percent were tourists, 20.8 percent were excursionists, and 3.9 percent engaged in both tourism and excursions.

Nearly half of the visitors, 47.8 percent, fell within the 31-50 age group, while women constituted 40.4 percent of the total visitor count.

Leisure, entertainment, and recreation were the primary purposes of visits in 2023, accounting for 52.3 percent of total visits.

The majority of visits were concentrated in Tbilisi and the coastal Adjara region, with 3 million and 2.7 million visits, respectively.

The average duration of visits in 2023 was 5.4 nights, representing a 13.6 percent decrease from the previous year’s average of 6.2 nights. Repeat visits constituted 72.8 percent of the total.

Expenses incurred during visits in 2023 amounted to 12.9 billion GEL, marking a 20.5 percent increase from the previous year. The average cost per visit decreased by 8.1 percent compared to 2022, amounting to 2,097.4 GEL, the agency said.