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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Maia Omiadze, Head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration, on Tuesday reviewed the summer tourism season, expressing confidence that positive trends in both visitor numbers and tourism revenue will continue.
Speaking about the sector’s performance, Omiadze noted that despite significant challenges at the beginning of the year, including hostilities in the Middle East, Georgia’s long-term diversification strategy helped mitigate the impact on tourism from the region.
“There were many challenges at the beginning of the year, but despite the military developments in the Middle East, we managed to minimise losses from the region’s tourism markets. We worked extensively before the start of the summer season and did everything possible to reduce those losses as early as the second quarter. As for the third quarter, it has been a very active season. I do not want to get ahead of the official figures, but we expect it to be a very strong quarter. Overall, positive year-on-year dynamics in both tourist arrivals and tourism revenue are expected to continue”, she said.
Omiadze stressed that expanding into new target markets and increasing the geographic reach of direct air connections remain crucial for sustaining stable growth and offsetting potential market fluctuations.
“What we have achieved is the result of a consistent and diversified policy. When you are not dependent on a single market and instead operate across multiple markets, you can compensate for fluctuations by redirecting or replacing visitor flows from one market with those from another. We worked actively with China, as well as European and Central Asian countries. New air routes were launched, while the frequency of existing flights was increased”, Omiadze concluded.
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