The number of visitors at protected areas has increased by 33% compared to the previous year and reached 860 thousands, – Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili responded to the government today’s positive trend.

According to the head of the government, he’s glad that half of them are citizens of Georgia, which means that they are traveling with great enthusiasm in local protected areas.

“It is also very important for us that half of them are foreign visitors, from 97 countries of the world. It is very glad that we have such a spectrum. This is a clear example of how to use the right state mechanisms to encourage internal and external tourism. This, first of all, means increased incomes for our local inhabitants; Tourism infrastructure, guesthouses, catering facilities, vehicles and shopping facilities. For example, I can tell you that incomes of Martvili Canyon and its surrounding population were 3 million 500 thousand GEL. This is precisely because there was built a visitor center and the infrastructure was arranged there, “the Prime Minister said.

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