In 2018 the number of international visitors to Georgia increased by 9.8% reaching 8,679,544.
72.9% of the international visits were repeated visits and 27.1% were first visits to Georgia. Therefore, in 2018, 1,949,053 people visited Georgia for the first time.
According to data from the national tourism administration, in 2018 visitors spent 7.9 billion GEL in total on tourism. The average expenditure per visitor was 1,099 GEL.
From the 7.9 billion GEL, the largest share was spent on food and beverages – 2.2 billion GEL, which comes to 28.6% of the whole amount. This is followed by accommodation, which came to 1.8 billion GEL – 23.4% of the total amount. In third place is recreational, cultural, and sport activities with 1.4 billion GEL amounting to 18% of the total. In fourth place is shopping; foreign citizens spent over one billion GEL on shopping in Georgia, coming to 13.6% of the total expenditures. Transport expenditures came to 560 million GEL (7.1%), and other expenditures came to 726 million GEL.
Russian tourists spent the largest amount in total, however the UK citizens spent the largest amount per visit.
Russia
Average expenditure per visit – 1,326 GEL
Overall tourist expenditure – 1,972,427,681
Turkey
Average expenditure per visit – 923 GEL
Total tourist expenditure – 1,086,557,567 GEL
Armenia
Average expenditure per visit – 540 GEL
Total tourist expenditure – 662,999,650 GEL
Azerbaijan
Average expenditure per visit – 385 GEL
Total tourist expenditure – 657,894,675 GEL
Israel
Average expenditure per visit – 2,047 GEL
Total tourist expenditure – 376,194,931 GEL
Ukraine
Average expenditure per visit – 1,659 GEL
Total tourist expenditure – 341,854,303 GEL
Iran
Average expenditure per visit – 2,071 GEL
Total tourist expenditure – 306,179,769 GEL
Germany
Average expenditure per visit – 2,046 GEL
Total tourist expenditure – 301,916,579 GEL
United Arab Emirates
Average expenditure per visit – 2,719 GEL
Total tourist expenditure – 230,243,753 GEL
Kazakhstan
Average expenditure per visit – 1,956 GEL
Total tourist expenditure – 156,609,571 GEL
USA
Average expenditure per visit – 3,047 GEL
Total tourist expenditure – 126,292,922 GEL
United Kingdom
Average expenditure per visit – 3,189 GEL
Total tourist expenditure – 125,892,171 GEL
Poland
Average expenditure per visit – 2,183 GEL
Total tourist expenditure – 110,614,509 GEL
Belarus
Average expenditure per visit – 1,262 GEL
Total tourist expenditure – 94,424,799 GEL
Spain
Average expenditure per visit – 2,541 GEL
Total tourist expenditure – 94,140,271 GEL
