Number of foreign visitors up 45% over last year

According to data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, more than 2.8 million people visited Georgia in 2011. Between January and April of 2012, the country has received nearly 1 million visitors – a 45% increase over the same period last year – with over 300,000 in April alone.

This year, the majority of visitors were from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, and Iran. The number of tourists from EU member states has increased substantially and even exceeded the number of tourists from Ukraine and Iran. Visitors from Austria and Moldova increased 73% and 83% respectively.

Since the government removed the visa requirement for Russian citizens, the number of Russian visitors has increased. At the Larsi border crossing alone, the number of Russians entering Georgia has quadrupled. Visits from Russian citizens increased by 98% in April, compared to the same month last year.