Georgia welcomes record number of EU and UK visitors - National Tourism Administration
According to the National Tourism Administration, Georgia recorded an all-time high of 249,201 visits from the European Union and the United Kingdom between January and June 2026. This represents a substantial 23.4% increase compared to the same period in 2025.
A historic milestone was also achieved in the second quarter (April–June), with 152,975 visits registered from the EU and UK, marking a 19.4% year-on-year growth.
“The number of international visitors to Georgia increased from 26 out of the 27 EU member states: Slovakia (+51.2%), Finland (+50.3%), Croatia (+46.5%), Malta (+42.1%), Slovenia (+41.1%), Spain (+35.7%), the Netherlands (+35.5%), Lithuania (+35.2%), Sweden (+32.9%), Romania (+32.2%), Cyprus (+30.8%), Austria (+29.3%), France (+28.0%), Hungary (+26.3%), Portugal (+26.2%), Italy (+24.1%), the Czech Republic (+23.8%), Germany (+21.0%), Luxembourg (+17.8%), Belgium (+16.5%), Denmark (+16.3%), Bulgaria (+15.4%), Latvia (+14.3%), Poland (+10.1%), the United Kingdom (+7.4%), and Ireland (+5.5%).
Tourism revenues from the EU and the UK drove the largest growth from January to June 2026, reaching a record USD 335.7 million. This is USD 58.6 million higher than the figure recorded in the first two quarters of last year, representing a 21.2% increase. Furthermore, in the second quarter alone, tourism revenues stood at a record USD 194.9 million, which is USD 21.1 million higher than the corresponding period last year, marking a 12.1% increase,” the National Tourism Administration stated in its report.
The Administration further noted that against a backdrop of global challenges, the National Tourism Administration of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development is actively diversifying its markets and executing targeted marketing campaigns across Europe.
“To support the Georgian private sector and deepen commercial ties, B2B meetings, roadshows, presentations, and sales calls are being conducted across dozens of European cities. These initiatives help establish direct business connections with European tourism companies and major agencies.
The National Tourism Administration actively participates in the world’s largest tourism exhibitions and events across Europe, boosting Georgia’s visibility. Promotional image campaigns for Georgia are currently running on influential European media platforms. These advertising campaigns also include outdoor advertising in central squares and streets across major European cities, including London and Paris.
A significant component of the Administration’s marketing strategy involves collaboration with international airlines, including British Airways, Austrian Airlines, and Edelweiss, among others.
Another core element of the strategy is organising media and familiarisation press tours to Georgia for journalists from influential European media outlets, as well as for influencers and tour operators.
Georgia’s air connectivity with Europe continues to expand. An increased flight frequency creates additional opportunities to attract new visitors. Currently, flights operate from Georgia’s international airports to 42 destinations across the EU and the UK. Prominent international carriers, such as British Airways, Transavia France, Wizz Air, and EasyJet, are actively operating routes to Georgia,” the National Tourism Administration added.
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International visitors spend 3.0 billion GEL in Quarter II of 2026, down by 13.3 per cent compared to same period of 2025 - Geostat
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In the II quarter of 2026, the number of arrivals of international non-resident travellers1 in the territory of Georgia equaled 1.7 million, which is 4.9 percent lower compared to the same period of the previous year. Most of the arrivals, 43.8 percent, were made by travellers of the age group 31-50, the National Statistics Service of Georgia (GeoStat) reported.
According to the GeoStat, in the II quarter of 2026, the number of international visitors equaled 1.3 million, which is 5.2 percent lower compared to the same period of the previous year. In the reporting period, international visitors made 1.2 million tourist-type visits, which is 2.7 percent lower compared to the same period of the previous year.
81.5 percent of international visitors were only tourists. The share of only excursionists amounted to 14.8 percent, while 3.8 percent of visitors were both tourists and same-day visitors.
In the II quarter of 2026, the largest number of visitors (328.9 thousand visitors), amounting to 25.1 percent of the total number of visitors, was from Russian Federation. Turkey was in second place with 16.9% share and Armenia was in third place with 10.8% share. The largest number of visits were made by the citizens of the Russian Federation (380.1 thousand), Turkey (287.0 thousand) and Armenia (199.6 thousand).
The majority of visitors (45.6 percent) belonged to the age group of 31-50 and women accounted for 42.9 percent of the total number of visitors.
In the II quarter of 2026, the purpose of the majority of inbound visits (49.6 percent) was holiday, leisure and recreation.
The majority of visits were made in Tbilisi and Adjara A/R, 875.5 thousand and 621.3 thousand, respectively.
In the II quarter of 2026, the average number of nights spent during the visits equaled 5.48, which is 3.5 percent higher than the same figure of the II quarter of 2025 (5.30 nights). 81.8 percent of visits was repeating visit.
The expenditures during the visits made in the II quarter of 2026 equaled 3.0 billion GEL. The indicator is 13.3 percent lower compared to the same period of the previous year. Average expenditure per visit decreased by 9.2 percent compared to the II quarter of 2025 and amounted to 1 922.1 GEL.
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