Airbnb’s presence in Georgia has grown at an astounding pace. Over the last two years, the number of Airbnb listings in Tbilisi has more than tripled from 2,100 properties in 2015 to 7,000 this year. Almost 4,300 active hosts are now offering a wide array of accommodation options.
International upscale hotels in Tbilisi are nearly booked to capacity for the summer months, despite the high prices compared to peers. Based on booking.com data, the highest prices in the international upscale segment in Tbilisi are commanded by Radisson Blu Iveria and Biltmore, averaging GEL 637 to GEL 775 over July and August.
Georgia was ranked 70th out of 136 countries in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) 2017, published biennially by the World Economic Forum (WEF). In the previous edition, Georgia ranked 71rd among 143 countries. The TTCI assesses four key areas: Enabling Environment, T&T Policy and Enabling Conditions, Infrastructure, and Natural and Cultural Resources.
The number of international arrivals was up 28.5% y/y to 0.67mn in June 2017. Out of the top four source markets, there was strong growth from Armenia (+28.8% y/y), Azerbaijan (+16.6% y/y), and Russia (+45.0% y/y). The downward trend persists in the number of arrivals from Turkey (-6.4% y/y), but the decline was a modest one, compared to the previous three months. Arrivals from the EU were up 27.0% y/y to nearly 35,000 visitors.
The tourist category continues to drive arrival growth in June 2017. The number of overnight visitors (‘tourist’ category) was up 43.0% y/y – the largest y/y growth on record – and accounted for 49.3% of international arrivals. Same-day arrivals were roughly flat, while transit visitors posted an outsized 42.9% y/y growth rate. The number of tourist arrivals is up 29.1% y/y to 1.31mn in 1H17, while the number of same-day visitors is down 2.7% y/y and the number of transit visitors is up 17.1% y/y.
