Prospects for the development of enotourism in post-pandemic Georgia (ენოტურიზმის განვითარების პერსპექტივები პოსტპანდემიურ საქართველოში)

Abstract

In Georgia, on May 5, 2020, in order to reduce the negative impact on small and medium-sized businesses in the tourism sector during the coronavirus crisis and post-crisis period, the National Tourism Organization "Georgian Tourism Industry Alliance" (GTIA) was established by merging associations working in the tourism sector. Alliance priorities address agro, eco, wine and rural new trends in tourism, where the main focus is on local products and their safe production and delivery. It is paradoxical that we should consider wine tourism as one of the new types of agro-tourism for Georgia. Today it is already known that Georgian wine is one of the oldest in the world. In general, wine tourism as a type of agro-tourism, which combines the economic, social and cultural aspects of rural development, includes many sections between the agro-sector and tourism, is the link between these two sectors of the economy. Wine tourism is considered as an opportunity to develop the wine industry. The development of Georgian wine tourism has great potential. The development of wine tourism can solve important problems. The awareness of the Georgian wine brand and the historical-economic foundations of the viticulture-winemaking sector provide good opportunities for the development of wine tourism.