“We clean our chicken coops”: in Georgia they talked about prices and the meeting of Russian tourists

The return of direct flights to Georgia caused a stir among Russians: flights were suspended in 2019, but many compatriots have not been to Georgian resorts almost since Soviet times, preferring far abroad. But today, when our vacationer has little choice, logistics is depressing, and prices bite, the Georgian Riviera, judging by ticket sales, attracts many with renewed vigor. But will it be the same affectionate and hospitable Georgia that it took Soviet workers to rest and remained not only in their memory, but also in domestic cinema and literature?

The national Georgian air carrier has opened the sale of tickets from Moscow to Georgia and back from May 20. Flights are planned daily, the price of round-trip tickets for the first week is from 582 euros (about 51 thousand rubles), and in June, when the process improves, they promise to reduce it. A four-year-old Russian decree restricting flights to Georgia by domestic airlines has also been cancelled.

Many people are interested in this new “good old” direction, but the Georgian authorities demanded that flights between our countries be carried out only by wings “not under international sanctions.” There were three such carriers in the Russian Federation: one has already opened sales for Moscow-Tbilisi flights from May 17, the first flight will take place on May 19, one-way tickets on the first day of sales cost 17 thousand rubles in the morning, 20 thousand rubles by noon. , and for dinner – 23-25 ​​thousand rubles.

At this moment, the prices of domestic and Georgian carriers from 51 thousand rubles. in both directions they caught up, but not for long: after lunch, only tickets from 46 thousand rubles were left for our “wings”. And it’s not evening yet. According to experts of the online service for the sale of air tickets, in just one day, the requests of Russians for Georgia have tripled, and compared to May last year – by 45%. And for the last week – all 10 times. As of Wednesday, the Moscow-Tbilisi flight, at the request of users, was the 3rd after the Moscow-Sochi and Moscow-Petersburg routes. And again, it’s not over yet.

“Of course, transit passengers also fly, for whom it is more convenient to get to their destinations through Tbilisi than through other hubs,” the airline says. – And tour operators buy out blocks of places at the lower price level.

At the same time, a ready-made tourist product – that is, a tour – based on a direct flight, most of the domestic tourist market promises only in two weeks, only two representatives of the industry have ready-made ones, but these are excursion programs, and not a beach vacation, which vacationers want high season.

– Those who promise to “build packages” in a couple of days – not professionals, to say the least – react in the capital’s travel agency to my request to “quickly stir up some inexpensive tour in the Georgian” all inclusive “. – Inexpensive vacation can only be with an organized tourist flow, and it is possible only if there is a mass tourism product, the development of which requires an established air connection with a clear schedule. And it still won’t be cheap, don’t wait.

If we believe the forecasts of many experts from both the Russian and Georgian sides, the pricing policy of Georgian resorts in relation to Russians will be “symmetrical” to the hype that has arisen – that is, frankly overpriced.

– So, those who grab a ticket rather than wait for your “mass tourist product” are doing the right thing in order to have time to relax on the Georgian Riviera at prices “for their own”, before they are jacked up by the invasion of their fellow citizens? – I’m torturing the manager for the Georgian direction, who was still in charge of Armenia last week.

– So far, complex logistics even wins at a price. From Moscow to Tbilisi via Yerevan, for example, today it is 10% cheaper and half an hour faster. In the meantime, there is no organized tourist flow, individuals need to be more careful. In some places, the reception may not be the warmest, you need to be mentally prepared for this. And it’s okay if it only affects the prices in the bazaar at the sight of Russians. Money is money, but the Georgians are a hot, emotional nation, and the Americans are already spreading rot about them for allowing flights to the Russian Federation.

“We are all very busy right now,” an elderly resident of Grigoleti (a coastal village near the port city of Poti) responds with typical Georgian humor to a question about the mood in connection with the imminent return of the “mass Russian package carrier”. “They clean their chicken coops to sell to you.

Are we welcome? You have finally been granted visa-free travel to Russia, many of you have been waiting for this!

That was 10 years ago, and a lot has changed since then. Personally, I do not expect anything good as long as we have a commander in a skirt.

In 2012, Georgia unilaterally canceled the visa regime with the Russian Federation that had existed since 2000, allowing Russians to enter and stay in Georgia without a visa for a whole year, but Russia reciprocated only now, 11 years later. And the “commander in a skirt,” Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, back in early May called the resumption of direct flights with the Russian Federation “an unacceptable step for her country.” But then, apparently, she was persuaded by the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Levan Davitashvili, who calculated that the resumption of air traffic with the Russian Federation would bring Georgia up to $400 million in profit per year.

At the same time, the Georgian parliament registered a bill banning the sale of real estate to Russians. According to its authors, opposition deputies, the purchase of housing by Russians increases the price of apartments, which causes difficulties for Georgian citizens (in 2022, Russian citizens purchased more than 6,000 residential properties, and in the first quarter of 2023 alone, more than 2,000).

Meanwhile, the EU, represented by the official representative of its foreign policy service, Peter Stano, said at a briefing in Brussels that “the European Union regrets that Georgia decided to resume air traffic with Russia, this decision of the Georgian authorities raises fears for the European path of Georgia.”

At the same time, while in Batumi you can find a decent “guest” right by the sea for 1300-2500 rubles. per day, and the private sector will be even cheaper. A train from Tbilisi to Batumi is 25-61 GEL depending on the class, a bus is 36 GEL, a taxi from Batumi airport to the center is within 15 GEL, and a city bus directly from the doors of the arrivals hall is 30 tetri. The average check in a cafe for two is 10 GEL, a hearty dinner in a restaurant with wine and chacha is 20–25 GEL. Local draft wine – 6-15 GEL per liter, fresh Imeretian cheese – 8-10 GEL per 1 kg, ripe tomatoes – 1.5-2.5 GEL per 1 kg, peaches – 2-2.5 GEL per 1 kg. Wine and chacha in Batumi are sold at every step, and to attract buyers, they first pour it for free.