Georgia attracts 10% more tourists in August

Georgia is continuing to experience growth in tourism; more visitors crossed the state border during the last month than in previous years.

The latest figures revealed that there were 852,377 visitors to Georgia in August 2015 – a 10 percent increase on the same period in 2014.

Today the Information-Analytical Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs presented statistical data, which noted out of 852,377 visitors 383,619 were tourists. That was a two present increase year-on-year (y/y).

Meanwhile last month 383,619 visitors used Georgia as a transit country - a 54 percent increase y/y.

The remaining 243,765 people came for other purposes, such as business, which was a 3.5 percent increase compared to 2014.

Statistic showed most guests who visited Georgia last month came from Turkey, which was a 10 percent increase y/y, while the number of guests from Azerbaijan also increased 7.5 percent. The next highest number of visitors were from Armenia (24.7 percent more), followed by Russia (23 percent more) and Ukraine (5.6 percent more).

A positive trend was also observed regarding visitors from European Union (EU) countries.

Georgia recorded a 36 percent increase in visitors from Kazakhstan. Additionally, 54 percent more guests came from Belarus and 35 percent more came from Moldova.

The number of visitors from the United Arab Emirates to Georgia in August increased by 766 percent and from Saudi Arabia by 75 percent. Georgia enjoyed a 10 percent increase in the number of visitors from the United States too.

Similarly, the number of guests who visited Georgia between January-August 2015 was also higher than previous years.

In this period increasing numbers of guests came from Lithuania (21 percent), the Czech Republic (20 percent), Latvia (14 percent), Germany (12 percent), Italy (10 percent), Great Britain (10 percent) and the Netherlands (10 percent).

In the first eight months of the year 3,922,376 visitors came to Georgia – a six percent increase y/y. (agenda.ge)