"Following this summer's heated protests against overtourism, there's some good news. For every overcrowded tourist spot in Europe, there are plenty of places around the world that need more visitors", BBC article reads".
As mentioned in the publication, for lesser-developed countries, the money tourism brings in helps to build much-needed infrastructure and community spaces. It offers jobs and training and gives locals a chance to proudly share their country's culture and traditions. Managed well, tourism can be an enriching economic stream, bringing people together around shared values and experiences. It doesn't have to replicate the issues we've seen this summer.
Georgia, which borders Turkey, Russia and Azerbaijan by the Black Sea, has big plans to encourage everyone from disabled visitors and independent travellers to cruise tourists, with a vast port in Batumi, the country's second city. Its new 10-year development plan takes in everything from developing international signage so tourists can navigate the country solo, to improving accessibility, public transport and cruise ship ports as it opens up.
"Tourism is relatively new in Georgia," said Natalie Fordham, a Georgia specialist at Wild Frontiers, a tour operator specialising in offbeat and adventurous destinations. "It offers a relatively new career path and we see really fantastic guides as a result. They're super excited to be part of it, they speak great English and learn how to adapt to different people, and many of our travellers make friends with them and want to go back."
As a developing tourism nation, some of the things you might take for granted in Western Europe –such as an extensive paved road network – are not there yet. However, there's hope that revenue from tourism will help to drive these kinds of infrastructural initiatives.
"Tbilisi is my favourite capital city in the world," said Fordham, "with charming cobbled streets, a real aesthetic, old fortress walls, museums and more. Then you've got cave towns, Soviet architecture and history – Stalin was born here – and the northern and southern mountains, Unesco churches and monasteries, and a thriving wine and food scene. There's so much to see, you need a week-long trip at least."
