GEORGIA: A SAFE DESTINATION IN COVID-19 STRICKEN WORLD

2020 is particularly bad year for people who love to travel the world, to discover new landscapes, cultures, food and experiences. In a time of closed borders and fear of contagion, a country stands out. 

Georgia, in the Caucasus, in the 2010s became the new star of culture, nature and food tourism. A country blessed with millennia-old history, golden beaches on the balmy Black Sea, and friendly people, it is a destination to explore and love that is hard to match. Amazing landscapes of mountains and traditional villages, delicious food, excellent wine and mesmerising traditional music plus the bustling capital Tbilisi with its patchwork of old and modern architecture and lively night scene: Georgia is a true gem for the curious travellers.

In 2020, Georgia also proved to be not only an incredible destination, but also a safe one. 

While established, beloved and over-popular tourist destinations struggled to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, Georgia was quick to react. As early as January it implemented relevant measures to contain spread of the new coronavirus. Consequently, the country experienced relatively low number of Covid-19 cases. 

Georgia also paid special attention to its tourist industry. Mandatory Safety Guidelines were established. During the outbreak, 84 hotels hosted over 22,000 people who had entered the country for a 2-week quarantine, and gained valuable experiences on how to work effectively and securely in such situation.

A special economic stimulus package targeted to the tourism industry provided that the sector is well prepared to survive and continue its work.

All of these are a reason why on 1 July Georgia will open its borders to all who want to visit as a safe destination. Strict protocols for disinfection, screening for Covid-19 and prevention of contamination are in place at entry points, restaurants, transportation, hotels. Travellers who have tested positive for Covid-19 will be treated at local hospitals and/or quarantined at local hotels. The specially created national label Green Tourism Zone, for its part, aims to provide tourists stress-free experience at isolated locations among clean nature and with plenty of open-air activities.