Georgia Implements Visa-Free Regime for Chinese Citizens
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili, made the announcement during a government meeting that the visa-free regime for Chinese citizens will be implemented starting on September 11.
Gharibashvili stated that the government's primary objective is to enhance trade and economic relations with China, attract more investments from China, and increase the number of Chinese tourists visiting Georgia. According to the Prime Minister, Chinese tourists are widely regarded as some of the most desirable visitors in the world, and this decision is expected to benefit Georgia.
"Tourism is very important for us. Last year, we received direct income from tourism in the amount of 3 billion 500 million dollars. We expect even more this year. We work in other markets and aim to attract more tourists to the country.
I had a very successful visit to China, and China today is the second largest economy in the world, the strongest economy. One of our main interests is to strengthen trade and economic relations with China, attract more investments from China, and bring more tourists to Georgia. My visit served this purpose.
We have made a decision to start the visa-free regime for Chinese citizens from today. I will issue the relevant decree today. It will be a very important incentive for even more tourists to come to Georgia. I want to say that Chinese tourists are considered one of the most desirable tourists in the world. We also have direct flights. I had a conversation with the Chinese Prime Minister about tourism and flights. I want to highlight the effectiveness of the Chinese government and its system. In just a few days, a delegation came to the Minister of Economy specifically on the issue of direct flights. About two or three days after my meeting with the Prime Minister, a delegation was already sent from China. We want to add more flights, direct flights to China. We want more tourists to come not only from China, but also from other countries, more tourists to see our amazing, unique country, culture, our people, and I believe that all this is done for the benefit of our country and people," said Gharibashvili.
