Analysts say touristic season fails in Abkhazia
By Tea Mariamidze
Tuesday, August 4
Occupied Abkhazia's main hope for the economy, its tourist industry, has failed. Most of the beaches, bars and hotels are closed, which has caused the failure of the touristic season during recent years, media outlets say.
Abkhazian media and Georgian news outlets claim that in summer 2015 only a few thousand of tourists have visited Abkhazia. Analysts believe that the main reasons for the decrease of tourists’ number are poor infrastructure, an absence of safety and extremely high prices.
Based on the statements made by the de-facto Abkhazia’s leaders, the analysts state that de-facto government is looking for the solution out of the current situation.
The leaders have addressed to local business to invest in the region.
However, analysts say that the local businessmen have no desire to invest in the country due to the strict regulations. As for the foreign ones, they also avoid to invest funds in the unstable region.
Raul Khajimba, the current de-facto President of Abkhazia, has initiated the abolition of the ban on the transfer of real estate to Russian citizens. Analysts believe that the steps aim at attracting Russian money.
The de-facto Prime Minister of Abkhazia, Arthur Mikvabia, stated that the government should do their best to restore the resort areas not only in Sokhumi, but in all cities.
“We should do our best to restore abandoned and abolished buildings and institutions; investments are necessary to bring economic growth in the country,” he said.
Georgian analysts believe that such decision of the occupied regime will not work.
According to the analyst in international relations, Giorgi Rukhadze , it is not surprising that the touristic season has failed in Abkhazia, because the main inflow of tourists and investments in the occupied region were coming from Russia, which, due to the sanctions from Europe, is in a difficult situation itself.
When asked tourists complain about poor service and high prices, as well as low level of safety.
