Page 39 - GEORptJul18

3.28pp. In annual terms, the average monthly nominal salary of employees in the construction sector was up 3.3%, while prices for machinery dropped by 1.3%.
The Georgian government will allocate GEL30mn (€10.4mn) to finance infrastructure projects in the capital Tbilisi next year and in 2020.
A government statement didn’t specify which projects would receive funding, but said the funding would provide Tbilisi City Hall “free financial resources which will be spent on the development of sports infrastructure.”
“[The] decision is in line with the prime minister's initiative about promoting a healthy lifestyle in the country,” the May 16 statement added.
“Significant attention in this direction will also be paid to Georgia's regions where the government will implement equally important projects.”
Tbilisi wants the number of Georgians taking part in sporting activities to double within the next three years, bringing it closer to the level in European countries. Planned steps include taking an inventory of the sports infrastructure throughout Georgia and carrying out a needs analysis within the next month before drawing up an action plan. As well as investing in sporting facilities, the government plans to address social issues to ensure maximum access to such facilities.
9.1.4 Tourism sector news
Georgia reported 6.9mn trips by international visitors in 2017, up 20.2% from the previous year, according to state statistics office Geostat. The country has seen a steady rise in tourist numbers in recent years, with visitors lured by its Black Sea beaches, rugged mountains, rich history and cuisine. The growth of the tourism sector is already having a major impact on the Georgian economy. The average visitor spent GEL888.7 (€310), of which the largest share, GEL204.7 was on accommodation, followed by leisure activities (GEL164.4), food and drink (GEL227.8), shopping (GEL121.8) and local transport (GEL74.6).
Neighbouring Azerbaijan and Armenia continued to be the top source countries for travellers to Georgia, with visitors from both passing the 1.2mn mark. There was also a hike in the number of arrivals from Russia to more than 1.1mn. Turkey was another major source country, accounting for around 1mn visitors.
Iran, while not among the top source countries, saw a hike in the number of its citizens visiting Georgia, to over 200,000. Iranians are heading in ever greater numbers to Georgia and the other South Caucasus countries to celebrate the Nowruz Persian new year holiday .
A large number of Georgians living abroad also visited their home country, pushing the total number of visits by international non-resident travellers to 7.9mn. The largest share of visitors — 37.7% — came to Georgia on holiday, while 22.2% were there to visit friends or family, and a further 18.1% were in transit. Repeat visits are likely since the overwhelming majority of visitors surveyed by Geostat pronounced themselves either "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their trips to Georgia.
39 GEORGIA Country Report July 2018 www.intellinews.com