Medical tourism: prospects of Georgia

There are more than a hundred climatic and healthcare resorts in Georgia. Thus, in these areas, it is one of the richest countries in the world. Unfortunately however this wealth of the country is not being exploited properly.

First of all, foreigners do not know about these resorts. Secondly, Georgians themselves mostly cannot afford to visit these resorts. According to the official statistics in 2010 more than 2 mln foreigners visited Georgia and only 1 % of the guests visited the country for healthcare reasons. Georgian tourist tour operators are not focused on this direction and do not offer foreign guests this option. It should also be mentioned that many such resorts are not developed to an appropriate standard. There is no straight strategy for developing health tourism infrastructure. However the potential is there and, if utilized correctly, it could bring serious money to the country.