THE REGION OF SAMEGRELO-ZEMO SVANETI IS LOCATED IN THE CENTRAL AND NORTH-WESTERN PART OF GEORGIA. THE AREA COVERS 7.4 THOUSAND SQ.KM. THE REGION INCLUDES TWO HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHIC PROVINCES – SAMEGRELO AND PART OF SVANETI – ZEMO (UPPER) SVANETI. BORDERING EACH OTHER AND COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WITH RESPECT OF LANDSCAPE, DURING CENTURIES THESE TWO PROVINCES CONSTITUTED ONE KINGDOM THOUGH BOTH HAD COVERED DIVERSE PATHS OF HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT. SINCE 20-IES OF THE VIII C. BC IN THE WRITTEN ANNALS OF HISTORY, UNDER THE MONIKER OF COLCHIS, EGRISI, LASIKA AND ODISHI, SAMEGRELO HAS COME FORTH AS A RICH AND STRONG KINGDOM. LOOKING AT SVANETI, IT SHOULD BE POINTED OUT THAT EARLIER IT WAS DEEMED TO BE PART OF COLCHIS, LATER ON – PART OF EGRISI. IN XI-XV CC. IT WAS ONE OF THE SAERISTAVO (TERRITORIAL UNIT IN MEDIEVAL GEORGIA) OF THE FEUDAL STATE OF GEORGIA. THE REGION’S RESORT POTENTIAL IS REPRESENTED BY CLIMATIC RESORTS (MOUNTAINOUS, SEA CLIMATE), SEASIDE RESORTS (SEA WATER, SAND, DURATION OF SUN LIGHT) AND HYDRO-MINERAL RESOURCES RESORTS (THERMAL AND MINERAL SPRINGS). NATURAL CONDITIONS OF THE REGION – BLACK SEA COASTLINE, HILLOCKY AND MOUNTAINOUS LANDSCAPES, HIGH PEAKS AND GLACIERS EMBRACE MANY PLACES WHERE ALONG WITH ENJOYING FULL-SCALE HOLIDAY IT IS POSSIBLE TO VISIT LOTS OF SIGHTS CREATED BY NATURE OR

HUMAN BEINGS.