Travel advice to Georgia

The Georgian press is not happy. They are particularly unhappy about the foreign embassies' travel advice to tourists intending on visiting Georgia.

Many embassy information websites cite mugging, pettry crime, bag snatching, dangerous roads, kidnapping and even terrorist warnings for Georgia. These "outrageous warnings", the press states, are serious "stumbling blocks" for tourism development in the country.

Almost all embassies told reporters that the information on their websites are based on media reports, crime reports, and comments from their own visting citizens. One embassy stated that the advice is not motivated by economic or politics, but on "guidance for sensible precautions that should be followed when visiting anywhere unfamiliar."

The report highlights the German embassies softened approach, which they attribute the fact that German tourists have increased significantly. The Georgian Foreign Affairs office requested in 2009 that the Japanese Embassy remove Georgia from its dangerous/hazardous countries list. This request was accepted and consequently there has been a 108% growth in the number of Japanese tourists travelling to Georgia.

Overall this year, there has been a 37% growth in the number of tourists to Georgia.

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