14
SOCIETY
GEORGIA TODAY
JANUARY 26 - 29, 2018
Adventure, Culture & Good Food: What Foreign Tourist Expect from Georgia ences, especially if it benefits local communities. Safety, sustainability and interaction with local people are important”. Their main motivations to venture to new destinations are hiking, trekking, unspoilt nature, wildlife, the uniqueness and the “authentic experience” – that opportunity to see, smell, taste and experience the local nature, culture and cuisine.
BY MARTA MILLS
O
ver the last few months, several articles have been published in worldwide press praising Georgia as an emerging tourism destination and encouraging tourists to come and visit Georgia now. Lonely Planet, National Geographic, BBC, the Guardian, the New York Times, the Financial Times and Bloomberg to name but a few. Only last week, CNN, the Austrian Bergwelten and the Korean Herald also wrote about Georgia. What do these articles have in common? What did the journalists think would appeal to their European, American or Korean readers to make them consider coming to Georgia? There is a number of common themes listed below, based on the analysis of several recent articles. This will bring up the issue of foreign tourists’ expectations and motivations to travel that are often not very well understood by many local people working in tourism, and provide a variety of services (accommodation, food, transport etc), particularly in the rural areas of Georgia. • Nature: the beautiful, dazzling, snowcapped Caucasus mountains, glaciers, green valleys, pristine rivers, small and remote villages against the dramatic mountain backdrop. As the Guardian put it, “superb scenery, utterly unspoilt and great for trekking”, • Culture: old churches and monasteries, watchtowers, museums, galleries, UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Ushguli’s appeal as “the highest village in Europe” can be found in most articles), but also intangible heritage like folk
MEETING THE EXPECTATIONS
Photo by Marta Mills
songs, dances and local festivals. • Food and wine: unique, different, authentic and very tasty. • Isolation, remoteness and the opportunity to disconnect (to an extent, however, because having good working Wi-Fi is also very important for tourists. • Sense of adventure: dangerous road to Tusheti, trekking in remote areas but also off-piste or heli-skiing (off-trail, downhill skiing or snowboarding that is accessed by a helicopter). • Hospitality of the local people, usually connected with the vast amount of local food and drink, and the opportunity to interact with them (often), despite
the language barrier. • Ease to travel: no visas for the majority of countries; many more budget flights from Europe initiated. • Safety to travel into and around Georgia. • Great nightlife and plenty of things to see and do in Tbilisi (vibrant, modern, cosmopolitan, but also with a beautiful Old Town, traditional balconies, old churches etc). • There is also a sense of urgency that comes from most reports: come right now before it is too late, before it gets spoilt (ironically, by the very same people who are being encouraged to come now!)
MOTIVATIONS OF THE WESTERN TRAVELLERS In October 2017, the CBI (the Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands) published an interesting analysis on the trends in the European outbound tourism market that perfectly sums up the points listed above: European travelers “are looking for authentic experiences in non-traditional destinations where travelers can interact with local people (…) and “destinations in developing countries with their unique cultural and natural resources” (…). A growing number of travelers are willing to pay for unique and authentic experi-
In addition to the need for life-changing experiences through immersion in Georgian nature and culture, there are also more basic needs of tourists once they have arrived (and, consequently, these are the things they mostly complain about if the expectations are not met). According to several employees of the Tourist Information Centres around Georgia I regularly speak to, the foreign tourists want better quality, clean accommodation; more public transport options; more diverse product offer (more “things to do when it rains”); better customer service; more food options for vegetarians; safer driving by marshrutka drivers; no smoking in public; and, last but not least, better Wi-Fi. The number of curious and adventurous tourists arriving to Georgia is growing – but only meeting these needs will ensure that they leave satisfied. Marta Mills is a Sustainable Tourism Specialist for the Caucasus region, advising international organisations and tourism businesses on how to manage tourism responsibly to protects its natural and cultural assets, and benefit the local population in Georgia. She writes her own blog on sustainable tourism: oneplanetblog.com and tweets at @oneplanetblog
Nikora Employees Become Company Shareholders
I
n 2018, food production company Nikora turns 20 years old. To celebrate their anniversary, the company decided to congratulate all employees, around 4000 people, by offering them shares in the company. The company says its employees greatly contributed to Nikora’s development, adding that their work must be appreciated. “At present, Nikora is the leading company in the food industry. We managed this together with the help of 20-years of work from our employees. Our employees are important to us. Therefore, to mark our 20th anniversary, company shares have been given to every employee of the Supermarket Chain- JSC Nikora Trade, said Irakli Bokolishvili, CEO of JSC Nikora. Bokolashvili said that last year, Nikora had over 43 million customers, adding that in order to form closer relationship with its customers, the company is ready to offer them shares also. People interested in purchasing shares should apply to the company head office. The term of the offer will run through April 1, 2019. The terms of the offer and the further information about the company (JSC Nikora Trade), is available on the website www.nikora.ge In 2016, JSC Nikora Trade placed $5 million worth of bonds on the stock exchange, while in 2017, it placed $10 million worth of bonds by JSC Nikora. Nikora is one of the most successful food producers on Georgian market. The company was founded in 1998 and soon gained the leading position in Georgia. The company released the information on January 24, 2018 at a press conference at the Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel. The purpose of the press conference was also to better inform the public about current schemes, and what positive results can be brought to the country as well as for the company.
Within the press conference, Nikora's future plans were reviewed. Currently, the supermarket stocks meat products, ready-made produce, fish, dairy
products, ice cream, bread and cakes, frozen and fried food and salads. In addition, one of Nikora’s subsidiaries, Intrade is the exclusive importer of
many food products and beverages in Georgia. In the near future, the Nikora supermarket network plans to increase its shops from 220 to 600. ‘Nikora’ is one
of the first among Georgian food producers who have achieved ISO status in the following fields: ISO 9001: 2008; ISO22000: 2005 – HACCP.