MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

“We have many things in common with Turkey including the active tourist traffic and the business connection. Many Turkish businessmen come to Georgia and vice versa. The connection between the two nations is quite strong and the traffic between our countries has always been active. Therefore, it is especially important to be ready to safely restore the land as well as the air traffic between Georgia and Turkey,” – Natia Turnava, the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development stated following the meeting with Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.

Natia Turnava noted that the security of our region as a whole is very important for the secure image of Georgia as a safe country. “Therefore, we talked to the Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism about the protocols and necessary conditions that must be met to restore traffic between the countries. Emphasis was also placed on the readiness of Turkish Airlines to resume flights. This is important not only for the transportation of passengers between Turkey and Georgia, but also given that Turkey is a kind of transit hub for third-country nations for coming to Georgia,” – Natia Turnava said.

Natia Turnava informed her Turkish counterpart about the decision of the Georgian Government to open a tourist market for international travelers on July 1. According to Turnava, Georgia has taken effective measures to prevent the spread of the pandemic, which has allowed the country to open its own tourism sector to both domestic and international travelers. Nevertheless, according to the Minister, the Georgian government strictly adheres to the guidelines of the World Health and Tourism Organizations in its decisions to make travel to Georgia as safe as possible.

Genadi Arveladze, the Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Mariam Kvrivishvili, the Head of the National Tourism Administration and Giorgi Janjghava, the Ambassador of Georgia to Turkey also participated in the meeting.