Georgia Tourism: 5.5 Million Visits Amidst Political Standoff

5.5 million international visitors arrived in Georgia in 2025. This figure represents an 8.4 percent increase over 2024. It is nearly ten times the number of visitors recorded two decades ago, which stood at approximately 560,000.

The tourism surge occurs while the country marks a political milestone. Monday marks two years since the contested parliamentary elections held on October 26, 2024. Protests began two days later and peaked on November 28. At that time, the government announced it would not place the opening of EU negotiations on its agenda before the end of 2028. Georgia had been granted EU candidate status in 2023.

Crowds gather in Avlabari Square in Tbilisi for the Saturday March. They march toward parliament to protest the government of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. The movement targets Georgian Dream, the party in power since 2012. Critics accuse the party of authoritarianism and of moving the country closer to Moscow by suspending EU accession talks.

The influx of tourists includes large numbers from Russia and the Middle East. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, tens of thousands of Russian citizens relocated to Georgia. These residents brought capital and opened businesses. Their presence has increased pressure on the property market as they purchase homes across the country.

This dynamic fuels local discontent. Many Georgians view Russia as an occupying power, a sentiment rooted in the early 1990s wars and the August 2008 conflict. Russian military control over Abkhazia and South Ossetia, regions that account for roughly 20 percent of Georgian territory, has remained a point of tension since diplomatic relations were severed after 2008.

Economic data shows strong expansion alongside political strain. Georgia’s GDP rose by 7.5 percent in 2025, marking five consecutive years of growth. The country is roughly the size of Ireland with a population of fewer than 4 million. It emerged from the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite the growth, the economy continues to face unemployment, low wages, and widespread poverty in rural areas.

The relationship between Georgia and Russia remains complex. Moscow remains a key economic partner through trade, tourism, remittances, and energy imports. Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire founder of Georgian Dream, made his fortune in Russia during the 1990s. He served as prime minister from 2012 to 2013 and renovated the Rustaveli theatre in Tbilisi. The EU has recently criticized the Georgian government for its record on the rule of law and political repression.