We have a chance to make Georgia a safe destination from the end of the year. We will be one of the first countries to open safe tourist corridors with other countries, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Natia Turnava said during the presentation of the plan aiming soften the economic damage from the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

She said that the Ministry of Economy is working on a specific anti-crisis plan for tourism, because tourism needs special support due to the current situation.

According to Minister Turnava, the Georgian tourism industry should be prepared for demands of the post-pandemic period, since "a new tourism will no longer be as traditional as it used to be so far."

“The tourism sector is one of the industries that needs help today. Tourism has been a great benefactor in our economy, a very big employer, it has supported Georgia and now it needs our support ans assistance. Other businesses may start recovering sooner, but there are different challenges in a tourism sector, since not all countries are equally able to overcome the pandemic and the imposed restrictions will be maintained. That is why, on the instructions of the Prime Minister, we are preparing a specific anti-crisis plan for tourism, a different anti-crisis plan. We have daily communication with the tourism industry, it's not just hotels, it's a very big segment of guides who are having a hard time today, it's a very big segment of tour operators, transport companies, so they need a different plan and then we have a chance to make Georgia a safe destination from the end of this year. The new tourism will no longer be as traditional as it used to be so far, we must do everything we can to prepare our tourism industry for the demands of the post-coronavirus period. We will become one of the first countries to open safe tourist corridors and will again restore the movement of tourists but we have to work hard. This plan is being developed and will soon be introduced to our tourism sector, ” Minister Turnava said.