Expanded Kutaisi airport opens in Georgia’s west, now capable of serving 2.5 mln passengers

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A new terminal of Kutaisi International Airport has opened today, now allowing the airport capable of serving 2.5 million passengers annually, announces United Airports of Georgia.
Now the airport is six times larger than it was before. We are now able to serve 2.5 million passengers annually and 1,200 passengers at the same time. Passengers will enjoy improved services and improved infrastructure. They will be able to use self check-in and baggage drop services…[they will be able to enjoy] international food outlets”, said Director of the United Airports of Georgia Tamar Archuadze.
Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava said that the number of airlines that operated at Kutaisi International Airport before the pandemic has almost been restored.
Before the pandemic, four airlines flew to 33 destinations from Kutaisi Airport, and this year, as of May, three airlines are already flying to 25 destinations, and this process continues following the opening of the market and overcoming the pandemic” Turnava said.
Following the expansion, the area of the Kutaisi International Airport has increased from 4,800 sq.m. to 30,000 sq.m.
The number of registration counters has increased from 10 to 18, of which two are baggage drop off, where passengers will be able to hand over their luggage after having registered online.
The number of border checkpoints has increased from six to 11 in the take-off zone, and from eight to 14 on the take-off side.
The airport now has seven gates, a green roof and a terrace.
Dutch firm UNStudio, which completed the terminal building of Kutaisi Airport in 2013, was responsible for the extension works together with Georgian architect and designer of United Airports of Georgia Mariam Karkarashvili.
The expansion of the airport started in 2017 and about 110 million GEL was invested.
The airport will employ about 1,200 people.

Georgia Elected as a Member of UNWTO Executive Council for 2021-2025

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“Historical day for Georgia and our Tourism industry – Georgia has been elected as a member of the UNWTO Executive Council for the 2021-2025 period,” – Deputy Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili 

Georgia has been elected as a member of the UNWTO Executive Council for the 2021-2025 period, the Deputy Minister of Economy of Georgia Mariam Kvrivishvili announced today, June 3, calling it a “historical day for Georgia and its tourism industry.”

“Through elections – against the background of tense competition with other countries, by a majority of votes, we were elected a member of the Executive Board of the UN World Tourism Organization.

“While a member of this important platform, Georgia will be granted the opportunity to be engaged in the implementation of UNWTO initiatives and projects, and most importantly will contribute to the global process of tourism recovery.

“We are grateful to our European partners for their declared support and showcased trust in Georgia,” Kvrivishvili stated.

By Ana Dumbadze

First Charter Flight Vilnius-Batumi Carried Out

Posted By : Georgian Tour/ 669

The first charter flight from Vilnius to Georgia’s seaside city of Batumi was carried out yesterday afternoon.

A solemn ceremony headed by the Chair of Ajara Tourism Department Tinatin Zoidze was held at the airport to host the guests from Lithuania.

A folk show and Georgian wine tasting were also held for the passengers at the airport.

180 tourists from Lithuania visited Batumi by the charter flight. The majority of them are planning a vacation in Batumi and Kobuleti.

Get Jet Airlines will be implementing Vilnius-Batumi charter flight on Mondays till the end of September.

 

Source: www.Georgiatoday.ge, By Ana Dumbadze. Photo source: www.Georgiatoday.ge

Jessie J Takes Over Black Sea Arena

Posted By : Georgian Tour/ 634

From Elton John to Christina Aguillera, Check in Georgia has brought a lot of stars to the stage of the Black Sea Arena in the past three years since it opened. The venue opened the 2019 season with a successful Black Eyed Peas’ concert on June 16 this year, meaning on August 6, Jessie J had a lot of pressure to keep up the audience’s expectations. However, with her astounding voice, fantastic band, and high level of organizational management from the staff of the Black Sea Arena, Jessie J’s show gave a new meaning to the combination of words ‘tremendous success’.

The gates opened at around 18:00, but devoted fans of the British Pop star had been gathering around the Black Sea Arena hours prior, some had even spent the night there to grab the chance to see their favorite performer up close from the Golden Ring. When the doors opened, they poured into the Ring, many of them humming Jessie J’s hits, from ‘Queen’ to ‘Domino.’

Jessie J appeared on the main stage a little later than scheduled, opening the show with a 2015 single ‘Masterpiece’, meriting endless rounds of applause from the cheering audience. After a couple of songs, the performer saluted the audience and explained her choice of outfit and hairstyle – so different to her look at her Amsterdam show just a few days before the one in Shekvetili.

“I decided to dress up as myself from 2010, because that’s where it all started, and I’ve never been to Georgia. So to make up for it, I decided to take you all nine years back and sing the songs that I think you might want to hear,” said the British singer-songwriter over loud screams from the audience.

Jessie J did not forget to mention her gratitude for the sold-out show, admitting that the love she gets from people never ceases to amaze her and that fame has never becomes normal for her. The pop star united the audience, engaging them all with her hilarious self-depreciating humor. The latter combined with her own words: “You came to see me, I came to see you.” She asked the audience not to record her performance of ‘Domino,’ just so she could see everyone’s faces and the blissful moment could be caught and enjoyed by all – making the public feel that Jessie J, the incredibly talented famous pop star, was just a regular person, equal to them. This integrity shone from the star’s personality throughout the two-hour show in many ways – adding a song to her playlist at the fans’ request, conversing with the audience and taking videos with their phones, reading a fan’s letter on stage, warming up the listeners by having them sing along to an improvised ‘Jessie J and Georgia’ bit – all these and much more made the Shekvetili show unique for Georgian and foreign music lovers.

The winner of the 2011 BRIT Awards expressed her desire to come back to Georgia and as her Instagram post post-concert reads: “…THE ENERGY WAS MAD!!! My 1st show in Georgia and it was SOLD OUT! YOU WERE SO LOUD AND FULL OF LOVE. Thank you, thank you…”. The singer also posted a photo on her page that shows her having a blast on Shekvetili beach.

When asked about Jessie J’s thoughts and satisfaction with the concert, Executive Director of Black Sea Arena, Tato Kharchilava, told the press: “I haven’t talked to her yet, but I don’t think we need any further confirmation – seeing her face and emotions on the stage spoke well of her satisfaction and happiness about today’s show.”

An excited fan, 20-year-old Katerina, shared her impressions with GEORGIA TODAY: “I’ve been to quite a few shows, but this one is particularly memorable for me. Because I’m such a huge fan. She’s such a modest person and an amazing performer – delivering 100% in every show. I can’t describe the feeling with words: it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

While the Black Sea Arena cleaned up after the show and started preparation for Thirty Seconds to Mars’ arrival on August 13, the music lovers left slowly, some of them admitting that they hadn’t known much about Jessie J before this concert but were completely in love with her from there on in.

 

 

Source: www.georgiatoday.ge; By Nini Dakhundaridze

Photo source: https://sputnik-georgia.com/culture/20190507/245151330/Jessie-J-saqartveloshi-koncerts-gamartavs.html

Georgia plans to increase wine exports to Japan

Posted By : Georgian Tour/ 644

Georgian Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili and President of Japanese alcoholic drinks consultation company ASIA AC Wataru Iwamoto met yesterday to discuss the prospect of exporting more Georgian wine to the Japanese market.

Wataru Iwamoto stated that Georgian wine is in high demand on the Japanese market after the ‘Georgia – Homeland of Wine’ exhibition was held.

Minister Levan Davitashvili said he hopes the partnership with the Japanese market will be fruitful.

The employees of the Asia AC company will have a two-day tour in Tbilisi and Kakheti region to taste different varieties of Georgian wine.

 

Source: www.agenda.ge, photo source: www.agenda.ge

18th century iconic Tbilisi palace undergoing restoration

Posted By : Georgian Tour/ 545
A historic palace located at the foot of Metekhi rock overlooking the Georgian capital of Tbilisi is undergoing major renovation, announces the Tbilisi City Hall.
Built in the 18th century palace Sachino, a summer residence of Queen Darejan, the wife of King Erekle the Second, is one of two palaces in Tbilisi that remains to this day.
About 2 million GEL ($710,480/€629,474) will be spent on the renovation of the Sachino palace (which is also called Queen Darejan Palace) and the work is due to be completed in 16 months.

We will do our best to make this area one of the best [in Tbilisi]. It is a very attractive place for tourists, many people visit the palace… This project is of utmost significance as the palace is a cultural monument,” Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze said when visiting the renovation site today.

In 16 months the palace complex, which includes the King Erekle’s bath, a church and a fence of the palace, will be completely restored.
Besides, conservation work of the wall painting of the Peristsvaleba [Transfiguration of Jesus] Church will be carried out which will cost 52,000 GEL”, said Kaladze.
The Queen Darejan Palace was built in the form of a castle to protect its inhabitants from continual invasions of foreign occupiers. However, neither the location on the top of the rock, nor the high defensive walls could protect the palace from the Iranian invasion of Agha Mohammad Khan at the end of the 18th century. As a result, the palace was destroyed and ravaged.
After this invasion the King Erekle moved to Telavi, Kakheti where he died in 1798. Having lived for some more time in her palace the queen Darejan was deported to Russia on a charge of a plot against the future head of state appointed by the Russian Emperor.

 

Source: www.agenda.ge, Photo source: www.agenda.ge

Great News: Black Eyed Peas will perform in Georgia

Posted By : Georgian Tour/ 736

Black Eyed Peas, an American musical group will visit Georgia this summer. The concert will take place at Black Sea Arena in Shekvetili, Guria (located on the eastern Black Sea coast) on the 16th of June. The event is supported by Check in Georgia. Black Eyed Peas arrives in Georgia as a part of their “Masters of the Sun Vol. 1” studio album tour.

The Black Eyed Peas consists of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo. In the beginning, the group was established as an alternative hip hop group and subsequently changed their musical sound to pop and dance-pop music. The group has sold an estimated 76 million records (35 million albums and 41 million singles), making them one of the world’s best-selling groups of all time.

Check in Georgia covers series of cultural and sports events that will be held in Tbilisi and other regions of Georgia. The project will be held every single year and will become more and more diverse each time. The main goal of the project is to make Georgia a cultural center, during the year by attracting a large number of tourists.

 

source: Georgianjournal.ge

Half of New Construction Projects Located in Tbilisi

Posted By : Georgian Tour/ 635

Fifty percent of construction permits granted in the first three months of this year are located in the capital city of Tbilisi, according to new data released by the National Statistics Office of Georgia (GeoStat).

A total of 2,052 permits were granted between January and March alone, with 7.8 percent more square meters planned, compared to the same period last year. Nearly three-quarters of the permits were issued in just three regions of Georgia: half in Tbilisi, 11.1 percent in Adjara and 10.5 percent in Kvemo Kartli. Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti and Guria, two of the most sparsely-populated areas of Georgia, are home to only 0.3 percent and 1.6 percent of the planned projects, respectively.

As tourism to Georgia has blossomed in recent years, Tbilisi has subsequently exploded.

Andrea Basilaia, Head of Economic Development for the Tbilisi City Council, spoke to a group of British investors last October about the city’s economic potential.

He told investors that 7.9 million international tourists came to Georgia in 2017, 58 percent of which visited Tbilisi, yielding US$2.7 billion in revenue.

“Tourism is one of the main pillars at around 7% of Georgia’s GDP,” Basilaia noted. “The potential still big, so we’ll be developing new tourist attractions, as well as promoting and developing tourist infrastructure.”

He mentioned projects such as the renovation of the Tbilisi TV Broadcasting Tower, the proposed Tbilisi Theme Park near the Tbilisi Sea and Radio City, to be built on the site of a former Soviet radio factory north of the city.

source: Georgiatoday.ge by Lucy Papachristou

European heritage experts release report for David Gareji monument rehabilitation

Posted By : Georgian Tour/ 617

European experts have published a report for rehabilitating David Gareji, one of the principal monuments of cultural heritage in Georgia, after it was named among Europe’s seven most endangered sites last year.

The report, presented by the Europa Nostra cultural heritage organisation, involves an assessment of the technical state of the monument and measures to be taken for its safeguarding from factors ranging from natural conditions to vandalism.

The release is a result of studies conducted by a Europa Nostra mission that worked closely with Georgian authorities and professionals during a visit to David Gareji in November and included experts of cultural heritage and financial support to rehabilitation projects.

Degradation of the physical structure and the artworks at the monument, along with vandalism and graffiti, was named as the main threat to the 22 rock-hewn monasteries and over 5,000 sanctuaries and cave-cells that comprise David Gareji, located on Georgia’s south-eastern border with Azerbaijan and partly extending over it.

The experts also noted unlawful practices, including taking souvenirs from the 6th century CE site and leaving graffiti on its surfaces, as contributing factors to its degradation.

Recommendations outlined by the team of professionals said the number of distinctive sites at the monument — and limited resources available to rehabilitate them — meant prioritisation of the most at-risk cave sites would be necessary.

Structural stability of “each cave site, or lavra” will require assessment through “geo-structural analysis”, while safe access to selected sites will be needed to set up security systems both for monitoring their geographical stability and safeguarding them from vandalism-motivated intrusions.

The report also includes a need for a “command structure” and a “steering committee” for overseeing the above-mentioned measures for safeguarding David Gareji.

Finally, the experts recommend setting up a visitor centre and a museum near the site to service the “increasing flows” of visitors and present exhibits discovered at the monument — instead of having them preserved at Tbilisi museum venues 70km away, as is currently the case.

The full technical and financial report for rehabilitating David Gareji can be accessed here.

Known formally as the David Gareji Monasteries and Hermitages, the site was named in Europa Nostra’s 7 Most Endangered programme last year, with the selection highlighting the seven monuments across Europe that face risks of disintegration or decay.

The Georgian site was nominated for the list by the Georgian Arts and Culture Centre, which represents the country in Europa Nostra.

Source: Agenda.ge; Photo: Georgiatoday.ge