Georgian-Jordanian cooperation on the rise — ambassador

AMMAN — The number of Jordanian tourists travelling to Georgia is on the rise and ties in various economic sectors are expected to boom following a meeting between officials and businesspeople from both countries later this month, according to Gregory Tabatadze, Georgian ambassador in Amman.

Georgia and Jordan, which will next year celebrate 25 years of diplomatic ties, are witnessing increased cooperation in the field of tourism, and the potential for cooperation in the trade exchange and investments is huge, the ambassador said in a recent interview with The Jordan Times.

Since the launch of direct flights between the two countries earlier this year, and possibility for Jordanians to enter Georgia without visa, the number of Jordanian tourists to Georgia has been on the rise.

In 2016, 4,000 Jordanians visited Georgia while, since the beginning of this year, the number reached around 11,000 Jordanians.

Georgia is known for a wide variety of tourism, including adventure, nature, skiing and hunting and the country is home to 27,000 lakes and rivers, the ambassador noted, adding that, in 2016, 6 million tourists from various nationalities visited Georgia.

“This is impressive and we expect the number of Jordanians and other visitors to keep growing,” he said, adding that the Georgian government has launched several programmes to attract tourists to the country.

The ambassador also stressed the potential for Jordanian businesspeople to invest in the hospitality sector, as the current hotel rooms supply is around 21,000 while the demand reaches 48,000.

“Work is ongoing to improve infrastructure and create more hotel rooms to meet the demand,” he added. 

Tabatadze, who stressed that Jordan also has a lot to offer to Georgian tourists, including the Baptism site, Petra and Wadi Rum, said that providing affordable tourism packages is key to help attract Georgian tourists to the Kingdom.

Jordanian and Georgian officials and businesspeople are scheduled to convene to Georgia on October 23 to explore increased cooperation in various fields. 

“This will be the first meeting of the Joint Jordanian-Georgian Economic Committee. and it will open the way for more cooperation and partnerships that will help us exchange information and explore new opportunities” the ambassador said.

The meeting will also pave the way for signing several deals in the fields of agriculture, customs, pharmaceuticals, investment and trade.

Furthermore, the committee will revise some existing deals that need amendments.

The ambassador noted that several incentives have been offered to companies starting their businesses in Georgia such as co-financing.