Page 47 - GEORptJul20

Russian territory. Georgia said it has been pursuing a consistent policy throughout the years and the 2012 decision remains in force.
Georgia decided to halt flights to and from its airports, with very limited exceptions.​ On March 21, President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili declared a nationwide state of emergency for 30 days to allow the government to pursue required measures to fight the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
"Flights will be [almost] completely halted from today. Only Georgian Airlines will operate certain flights in coordination with the government," Prime Minister's Advisor Irakli Chikovani said on March 21.
9.1.4 ​Tourism sector news
Georgia delays international flights and hence foreign tourism until August
Small countries in Balkans and South Caucasus most exposed to tourism industry collapse
Regular international flights to Georgia will not resume before July 31, the Georgian Civil Aviation Agency announced on June 25.
Georgia was planning to once more accept international flights and thus open up to foreign tourism on July 1, but such hopes have been dashed with the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic failing to diminish globally in line with hopes and expectations.
The country has lifted most of its restrictions imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19 in June. It has re-opened shops, hotels, restaurants and cafes, while restoring public and inter-city transportation. Hotel owners and tour operators remain, however, pessimistic about the outlook for the nation’s tourism industry this summer.
The decision to delay international regular flights for a month will wipe out most of Georgia’s potential for the receipt of international tourists. This is no small matter as foreign tourism usually directly and indirectly accounts for one-fifth of its economy.
“The decision to resume regular air traffic will be made based on the epidemiological situation in the world and in Georgia," read the statement published by the civial aviation agency.
The agency called on travellers not to buy tickets to Georgia until the exact date of the resumption of international flights is officially announced.
Earlier, economy minister Natia Turnava had announced that the ban on regular flights may be extended until the end of July due to rapid increases in the number of new coronavirus cases seen in neighbouring countries. Turnava said that the main tasks for the Georgian government were to strengthen the gains made in properly managing the country’s epidemiological situation and protect the population.
Georgia opened its domestic tourism industry on June 15.
It was negotiating with tourism partner countries like Israel and various European countries to restart flights.
Small countries in the Balkans and South Caucasus are the most exposed to the expected collapse in tourism revenues this year as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic puts a stop to international and domestic travel.
In several of the countries in these sub-regions tourism accounts for some of the largest shares of GDP across the wider Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe and Eurasia area, based on a global survey by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) published in 2018.
Tourism — taking into account both direct and indirect effects — accounted for 31% of GDP in Georgia, and around a quarter in Albania (26.2%), Croatia
47​ GEORGIA Country Report ​July 2020 ​ ​www.intellinews.com