Georgia is a country that, 30 years ago, did not even ring the bell for travel agencies. After the Berlin wall collapsed however, the country gradually began to attract the interest of international travelers. Currently, they are more tourists in the country than natives each year. Georgia has become a popular destination for Azeris, Russians, Turkish and Iranians and is growing in popularity with Asians and Westerners for being an eco-and wine- retreat from the rush of urbanization and 21st century living.
The Where.ge team took to the streets to find out what the tourists here today think of Georgia. Check out what we found out below
Ali, from Baku (also known as the “new Dubai”, as he said with a smile), decided to rent a flat in Tbilisi for two weeks. For him, there is no doubt that his decision was affected by the short distance, but not only. He likes the spirit of Tbilisi, the “multicultural city in which there is an Orthodox and Islamic, Republican and Soviet legacy.” He quietly confessed that he was really fond of the Georgian wine, and if not for a lack of international advertisements, the French wine might have reason to worry about the competition!
Near Liberty (Freedom) Square, a 60-year-old English couple was sitting on the steps. Their bodies may have been tired from the day exploring, but their brains were full of souvenirs. They stayed here three days, and we met them on their last, asking them what they loved most from all they’d seen. They immediately named the Georgian hospitality: “The Georgians are not cold, they’re as warm as the summer weather is!” they told us.
A little further down the road, near the Bridge of Peace, we came upon a father and his daughter eating ice cream. Hailing from Sweden, it was not the first time they had chosen to visit Georgia, in fact, it was their third trip! The father told us he had literally fallen in love with the country … and its food. They chose to stay in a flat, so as not to be seen as tourists. The experience was great, he said, speaking about the warm-hearted people and his sense of feeling “welcomed, safe and well-fed.”
A few meters away, a Dutch family were coming from the Tbilisi bath houses. Their two children had only in mind the word “heerlijk,” which means delicious, (they were thinking particularly of the khachapuri (cheese bread)! The parents described simply the life here, “friendly, good food, better than expected.” They also seemed interested in the architecture, embodied by the strata from history: Haussmann buildings, soviet houses, and middle age churches: a recipe for architectural success.
At the end of the day, for the majority of tourists, Tbilisi is nothing if not friendly. Nevertheless, they also point out the bad sides, first, the stray dogs, secondly the lack of English translations. But Georgia is developing and in that we take pleasure; enjoying, along with our visitors, discovering what makes this country tick (and no, it’s not just the wine and khachapuri, though that certainly helps…)
By Antoine Dewaest
Main photo: eurovoix.com