Page 43 - GEORptSep19

“The new road will allow for safer and faster movement for locals, tourists and truck drivers alike, especially on the Jvari Pass where there is a high level of avalanche hazard in winter, "the ADB said in a statement.
The North-South Transport Corridor passes along a difficult geographical route characterised by heavy snowfalls that block roads in the winter period.
The highway will be a two-lane, 22.7-km long asphalt-concrete road and will include 6 bridges and 5 tunnels, the longest stretching over 9 km.
The width of the 9-km long Kvesheti-Kobi tunnel will be 15 m, a size that is rather rare not only in Transcaucasia but throughout the world. A 500m arch bridge will also be constructed on the route.
Losses to airlines resulting from the ban on direct flights between Russia and Georgia is estimated at RUB3bn ($47mn), Russian Transport Minister Yevgeny Ditrikh said on July 7, Tass reported.
The ban was introduced after mass protests outside the Georgian parliament , triggered by reports that a Russian lawmaker was giving a speech from the speaker’s chair inside the legislature. At an emergency session of the Russian Security Council, Putin announced a temporary ban on flights to and from Georgia starting July 8, “to protect Russian citizens from violence or other illegal actions.”
Russia’s transport ministry is now calculating how much the ban will cost carriers; according to Tass the ministry is working on a universal technique to compensate carriers for suspensions in service due to reasons beyond their control.
“Preliminarily, we estimate the sum at about RUB. It is a preliminary sum and includes direct loses and partially lost profits,” Ditrikh said.
But while operators of direct flights between Russia and Georgia are losing out, airlines from other countries in the region are looking to cash in.
Several Armenian carriers have said they will provide connections between Russia and Georgia transiting via the Armenian airports at Yerevan and Gyumri. Armenia has friendly relations with both countries.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s AtlasGlobal says it will put on four flights a week from Moscow to Tbilisi via Istanbul, r eturning to the Georgian market a fter a year-long absence.
9.1.4 Tourism sector news
Armenia was the favourite destination for tourists from Russia this summer, according to a survey ca rried out for newswire Tass by online booking site OneTwoTrip.
Armenia led the top three destinations for Russian tourists, ahead of Italy and Turkey, the survey showed, with 8.5% of tickets bought by respondents going to Armenia.
Georgia remained among the top 10 destinations for Russian tourists this summer, despite a ban on direct flights from Russian to Georgian airports imposed by Moscow as relations deteriorated.
Georgian Black Sea resorts are traditionally popular destinations for Russians, and travellers managed to get around the ban by flying from Russia to Georgia via airports in nearby countries such as Armenia and Turkey.
Also among the top destinations were fellow former Soviet countries Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as France, Germany and Spain.
The National Geographic media group is to publish extensive materials on Georgia to promote tourism in the country, the Georgian Ministry of
43 GEORGIA Country Report September 2019 www.intellinews.com