Ex-Pres Saakashvili rejects claims he tied Georgia’s tourism to Russian visitors

Georgia’s former president Mikheil Saakashvili has rejected claims that his government made the country dependent on Russian tourists, arguing that his policy after the 2008 war was to allow Russian visitors under strict controls while expanding Georgia’s tourism links with Western markets.

In a statement published on social media on Wednesday, Saakashvili said it was “complete nonsense” to attribute Georgia’s current dependence on Russian tourism to his policies. He accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of making the country dependent on Russia not only in tourism but across the wider economy.

Saakashvili said his government had viewed Russian tourism partly as a political tool, arguing that Russian visitors could return home with first-hand accounts of Georgia’s reforms.

He pointed to the expansion of Georgia’s tourism sector during his presidency, saying that Russian visitors accounted for less than 20% of total tourists in 2012. 

Saakashvili also cited the Russian-language First Caucasus television channel, known as PIK, as part of his government’s effort to communicate Georgia’s reform agenda to Russian-speaking audiences.

He argued that his government was simultaneously targeting Western tourism markets through international advertising, cruise tourism and the development of new tourism infrastructure.

Saakashvili listed several projects and policies that he said had been intended to diversify Georgia’s tourism market, including cooperation with Royal Caribbean, the development of Tetnuldi ski resort, international advertising campaigns and the expansion of Kutaisi International Airport.

He accused the Georgian Dream government of subsequently abandoning or changing those policies and of increasing Georgia’s dependence on Russia in tourism, logistics, trade and energy.

“Today we have not only been tied to Russia in tourism, but also in the entire economy,” Saakashvili said, arguing that greater diversification would have reduced the potential economic impact of any future restrictions imposed by Russia.

Saakashvili also called on opposition politicians and experts to challenge government statements on Georgia’s economic dependence on Russia more actively, saying he wanted others to engage in the debate rather than leaving him to respond alone.

He concluded by recalling his earlier goal of increasing annual tourist numbers from around 50,000 to 10 million.