There Will Initially Be One Flight a Day to China, Targeting Up to 10 Per Day, Economy Minister Says
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Following Prime Minister Gharibashvili's announcement of the visa regime cancellation with China, Minister of Economy Levan Davitashvili stated that initially, there would be one daily flight to China. However, in his statement, Davitashvili emphasized the government's greater ambitions, asserting the possibility of operating up to 10 flights with China per day in the future.
As per Davitashvili's statement, Chinese nationals will have the opportunity to stay in Georgia visa-free for a duration of 30 days. He further noted that the initial flight routes will follow a three-way path, connecting Beijing, Urumqi, and Tbilisi.
"In the initial phase, we have agreed to have at least one daily flight with China, although our ambitions are greater. I can tell you directly that our target indicator may be up to 10 flights per day to various cities in China. This will enable us to cater to the specific flows that will yield a significant and tangible economic impact," said Davitashvili.
According to Davitashvili, China is a 'desirable tourist market' for many countries, with Chinese tourists spending up to 300 billion in different countries every year.
China is a desirable tourist market for everyone. Every year, over 150 million Chinese tourists visit different countries, spending approximately 300 billion. It's crucial for us to capture a share of this market, even though our current share is minimal-virtually non-existent. However, we hope to attract significant flows. One critical factor in achieving this is the cancellation of the visa regime with China, a decision announced by the Prime Minister," said Davitashvili.
Davitashvili stated that following their visit to China, a comprehensive analysis was conducted to explore ways to optimize tourism potential. The minister identified the visa regime as one of the significant obstacles in this endeavor.
As noted by the Minister of Economy, they considered the successful experiences of several European countries that were able to boost tourist arrivals from China through the implementation of visa regime cancellations.
