Guess who's visiting Georgia?

In the first six months of 2011, a record number of tourists (1.4 million) have visited Georgia which is a 45% increase for the same period last year. Russian tourists were ranked the fourth most frequent visitors to Georgia during the first six months of the year: an increase of 50% for the same period last year. The greatest increases were tourists from Kazakhstan (251% more than last year) and Iran (156% more than last year). The rankings of the most visitors to Georgia (by nationality) include: (1) Turkey; (2) Azerbaijan; (3) Armenia; (4) Russia; (5) Ukraine; (6) Iran; (7) United States of America; (8) Kazakhstan; (9) Israel; and (10) Germany.

Tbilisi (the capital) and Batumi (the seaside resort on the Black Sea) are the most popular tourist destinations in Georgia, especially in the summertime. Batumi is popular for its festivals, concerts, and high proportion of international guests, as well as its beaches.

While Russians are visiting Georgia, Georgians are going to Turkey. Neighbouring Turkey is the most popular destination for Georgians for their summer vacation. They love it because of the easy customs services and low accommodation costs – and most people drive there. The resort village that are most popular in Turkey include Antalya, Belek, Kusadasi, Bodrum, Marmaris, Alanya, and Side.

The demand for European destinations has also risen since last summer. Spain, Italy, and Prague are among the most commonly visited countries by Georgians. The Prague-Vienna-Barcelona tour is a popular combination. Also popular in summer are honeymoon tours to Spain, Italy, Vienna, and Prague. Exotic locations for Georgians are also on the rise, such as Malaysia and Thailand.

As for Australians, the latest MasterCard consumer purchasing priority survey indicates that 53% of Australians made at least one international leisure trip in the past 12 months and 21% made at least one international business trip. Looking forward, 32% of Australians said that they were interested in taking an international leisure trip in the next 12 months. If they are interested, the New York Times list of “Places to Visit in 2011” includes: (1) Santiago, Chile; (2) San Juan Islands in Washington State, America; (3) Koh Samui, Thailand; (4) Reykjavík, Iceland; (5) Milan, Italy; (6) Tbilisi, Georgia; (7) London, England; (8) Loreto, Mexico; (9) Park City in Utah State, America; and (1) Cali, Colombia.

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