Closed Borders with Azerbaijan Cost Georgia's Tourism $400 Million
On March 5, Georgia's Deputy Economy Minister, Mariam Kvrivishvili, highlighted that the closure of the land border with Azerbaijan has resulted in a significant loss of tourists for Georgia, amounting to more than 1.5 million visitors. This closure, she noted, has been a major factor preventing Georgia from fully restoring its tourist flow to pre-pandemic levels.
The Ministry of Economy of Georgia has estimated the economic impact of the closed land border with Azerbaijan on the tourism sector to be approximately $400 million.
Notably, since the spring of 2020, Azerbaijan has maintained the closure of its land borders due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Consequently, entry and exit between Azerbaijan and Georgia have only been possible by air travel, with border restrictions remaining one of the key quarantine measures enforced in the region.