Prepared by Messenger Staff
Nauru Withdraws Recognition of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Regions
Nauru has withdrawn its recognition of Georgia's Russia-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions as independent states and ended diplomatic relations with both territories, the Pacific island nation's government announced on July 30.
The decision reverses Nauru's 2009 recognition of the two regions and takes effect "with immediate effect," according to the government.
Georgia welcomed the move after previously announcing that Nauru had cut diplomatic ties with authorities in Sokhumi and Tskhinvali on July 21, saying it was ready to establish diplomatic relations with the Pacific nation. Sokhumi said it regretted what it called a "forced decision," while Tskhinvali has not commented.
Following Nauru's decision, only Russia, Syria, Venezuela, and Nicaragua continue to recognize Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) as independent states.
Georgia Sees Drop in International Visitors and Tourism Spending in Second Quarter
Georgia recorded 1.7 million international traveler arrivals in the second quarter of 2026, a 4.9% decline compared with the same period last year, according to the National Statistics Office.
The number of international visitor trips reached 1.5 million, while the number of visitors fell to 1.3 million, down 5.2% year-on-year. Tourist-type visits totaled 1.2 million, a decrease of 2.7%.
Russia remained the largest source of visitors, accounting for 25.1% of arrivals, followed by Turkey and Armenia. The largest share of travelers were aged 31 to 50, while nearly half of all visits were made for leisure and recreation.
Tbilisi and the Adjara region were the most popular destinations, recording 875,500 and 621,300 visits respectively. Visitors stayed an average of 5.48 nights, slightly higher than a year earlier, and 81.8% of trips were repeat visits.
Despite longer stays, tourism revenue declined. Total visitor spending fell 13.3% to 3 billion lari, while average spending per trip dropped 9.2% to 1,922 lari, according to the statistics office.
