Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia stated earlier this month that “Georgia will resume domestic tourism starting June 15 and will receive international tourists starting July 1”, while budget airlines Ryanair and Wizz Air will resume flights from select countries across the region, including the Baltics, Hungary, Israel and other destinations currently under negotiation.

 

The Georgian mountains have emerged as a top hiking destination in summer, but remote communities in expanding tourism hubs such as Svaneti and Tusheti remain cut off from the world for much of the year, given their extreme altitude and fierce snowstorms.

 

And while they could be the perfect place for an isolated holiday this coming summer, the re-opening of Georgia’s tourism industry will need to ensure that rural communities and those working in the tourism sector can be protected from further outbreaks of COVID-19.