The Role of Georgian Governmental or Civil Tourism Organizations in the Development of Tourism - Essay Example

Tourism in Georgia has been studied by various academics and scholars for many years. The subject of what the government and tourism organizations are doing to develop the sector is fascinating and vast but heavily weighted by policies and regulations put in place. Choosing the role of tourism organizations in developing tourism narrows this study slightly.

The majority of the literature concentrates on what the government and other stakeholders have done or intend to do in developing this sector. This study will use various research methods both qualitative and quantitative to develop our understanding of the scenario in the sector. Both research methods will be of great importance as this will reveal clear insights into the tourism sector.

Introduction Georgia is a small country with a strategic location, natural resources and infrastructure, and legal developments adopted to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. Georgia is located at the crossroads of Europe and Central Asia. Tourism is one of Georgia’s main exporting sectors and earns hard currency and helps to reduce the current account deficit. As a labor-intensive industry, it helps to create a lot of formal and informal jobs (Babych et al 2011). The growth in tourism also affects business development in many related sectors of the economy such as agriculture, transportation services, arts, and crafts to name just a few.

Some of the tourist destinations include Old Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Signagi, Kutaisi, Gudauri, Mestia, Batumi, Kobuleti, and Anaklia. The growth of tourism has been impressive in Georgia, the number of foreigners visiting during the first10 months in 2011 increased by 42% compared to the same period last year ( Georgian Border Security statistics). Tourism is currently the fastest growing sector in the global economy, particularly important for developing countries. According to the UNWTO tourism barometer, the flow of foreign tourists into developing countries increased by 4. 5% in 2011 compared to the previous year. The rate of increase stands at 9% for Central and Eastern European countries (Fernandes C. 2011).