Tourism in 1Q26: Visitor numbers increased by 2.5%, while revenues decreased by 5.2%

GeoStat reports that sectors such as manufacturing, information and communication, professional, scientific and technical activities, mining, construction, and transport and warehousing made notable contributions to this growth in March 2026.Conversely, a decline was observed in the administrative and support services sector, as well as in hotels and restaurants.

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These permits cover the construction of buildings and structures with a combined area of 2,367.6 thousand square metres. GeoStat reports that nearly three-quarters of these permits are concentrated in four regions, with Tbilisi accounting for 48.7 per cent of the planned construction activity, followed by Kvemo Kartli at 10.1 per cent, and Kakheti and Mtskheta-Mtianeti regions each representing 7.8 per cent.Notably, during the first quarter of 2026, permits were issued for a diverse range of projects, including multifunctional residential complexes, shopping centres, hotels, industrial facilities, agricultural buildings, and other structures.However, the agency’s report also indicates a slight decrease in the number of facilities put into operation. A total of 683 facilities, covering an area of 722.5 thousand square metres, were commissioned in the same period, a 2.1 per cent decline compared to January-March 2025.More than two-thirds of these operational facilities are located in four regions: 31.8 per cent in Tbilisi, 13.8 per cent in Mtskheta-Mtianeti, 12.3 per cent in Kvemo Kartli, and 10.7 per cent in Kakheti.

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According to Bochorishvili, Georgia is back on the agenda of the United States administration, which is confirmed by the active consultations that have begun with the Trump administration. The minister noted that the communication carried out since February, including a phone call with the Prime Minister and visits by State Department representatives, is assessed as “positive and effective.”“The legacy that the Trump administration received was not easy. However, today there is a real desire to restore relations,” the minister said, adding that another high-level visit of the State Department to Georgia is planned in May. According to him, the full restoration of strategic cooperation will largely depend on the political will of the American side.Speaking about relations with the European Union, the Foreign Minister stressed that talking to Georgia in the “language of blackmail” will not yield results. He rejected accusations of the government’s “anti-European rhetoric” and blamed the Brussels bureaucracy for hindering the processes.“The dialogue and the European integration process have been suspended by the European Union. We have never refused this process,” Bochorishvili noted.He also drew attention to the recent statements of the EU Ambassador, Pavel Herchinsky, calling them “direct threats”, which cause legitimate concern in Georgian society.According to the minister, despite the attempts of individual actors to impose sanctions or use other pressure mechanisms, it will be difficult to reach a consensus on this issue among EU member states, as many states realize the injustice of the current approaches.

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The above-mentioned personnel changes are part of the recent rotation in the government structure.On April 21, it became known that the change of the Minister of Internal Affairs: Gela (Geka) Geladze, who had headed the Ministry of Internal Affairs since May 2025, was transferred to the position of Head of the State Security Service (SSS).Geladze replaced Mamuka Mdinaradze as the head of the SSS. In turn, the new ministerial portfolio for Mdinaradze was approved by the Parliament on April 29.It is important to clarify regarding the functioning of the new State Minister's Office: Mamuka Mdinaradze's office will not have separate staff units. In accordance with the legislative amendment, the work and staff support of the Minister's Office will be fully provided by the government administration.According to the "Georgian Dream", this decision aims to strengthen coordination between law enforcement agencies and optimize the management process without additional increase in administrative costs.

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According to him, the reform is aimed at ensuring that quality products are produced only from quality raw materials, which makes it necessary to regulate the process of vineyard cultivation.“The wine quality reform is aimed at strengthening the Georgian wine industry, which will support the development of wine companies and small wineries. In order to have quality wine, the country must have quality vineyards, which means that vineyard cultivation must be subject to regulations,” Vacharadze noted.Who will the new rules apply to?The agency emphasizes that the regulation applies only to entrepreneurial and commercial activities and does not limit individuals. Entrepreneurial vineyard: Starting from May 1, the cultivation or restoration-renewal of a vineyard for commercial purposes will be possible only with the consent of the agency (the regulation does not apply to individuals who are building a vineyard for their own consumption). Service fee: The National Wine Agency will issue a permit for vineyard cultivation free of charge. According to Zurab Vacharadze, the tightening of regulations was also due to the current situation on the world market. According to the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), wine consumption is at its lowest level in the world since 1961, which is fueling competition among producers.“Against the backdrop of overproduction, emphasis should be placed on the quality of raw materials and the final product. Approval for the cultivation of vineyards will be issued in all wine-producing countries of the European Union,” he added.According to the agency, according to statistics from recent years, approximately 500 hectares of new vineyards are being built in Georgia annually. Given the current pace, the new regulation will affect an average of about 100 people per year.The rules for cultivating an entrepreneurial vineyard include such important stages as the selection of varieties and rootstocks, soil preparation, and agrotechnical measures, which ultimately ensure high productivity and quality of the vineyard.On March 5, Transparency International Georgia (TI) assessed the new draft law “On Vine and Wine,” which had already been submitted to parliament at that time, as containing corruption risks and damaging to small entrepreneurs. The organization stated that the planned changes, which envisage the introduction of mandatory permits for vineyard cultivation and an increase in the bureaucratic burden for family wineries, give the National Wine Agency “opaque power” and create a threat of oppression of small players in the market.“The draft law significantly increases the power of the National Wine Agency, which will no longer only have the function of a controller, but also become a regulator of access to the market,” TI wrote.

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The initiative prepared by the Ministry of Health aims to alleviate the financial burden that citizens have incurred due to late provision of information or administrative errors. According to current regulations, the basis for the termination of a pension or allowance is the person’s commencement of work in the public service, imprisonment or death, although in many cases this information was provided to the agencies with a delay, which led to overpayment of amounts.The amnesty will affect several thousand beneficiaries in total. In particular, 1,685 pensioners or heirs of the deceased will benefit from the benefit in the area of ​​overpaid pensions, as a result of which 1,213,804 GEL to be returned to the state budget will be written off. In the area of ​​state compensations, the decision will affect 252 people, including those against whom a court dispute was ongoing.The largest financial benefit will apply to those receiving subsistence allowances. According to the Social Service Agency, 1,444 families will have their debts of 2,653,678 GEL forgiven. In addition, 304 people receiving a social package will be relieved of their obligation to return 130,500 GEL.According to the government, this humanitarian act will eliminate legal debts that have accumulated over the years due to systemic flaws and have had a severe impact on the financial situation of socially vulnerable groups.

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Kobakhidze made a statement on the current situation in Ukraine and Moldova, noting that putting these countries ahead of Georgia is unrealistic.“We all see the situation in Ukraine and Moldova. Unfortunately, the situation in Ukraine is extremely difficult. After 2022, the processes have developed severely - the economy has collapsed, the infrastructure is destroyed, the humanitarian situation is extremely difficult, corruption is rampant. As for Moldova, it is one of the most corrupt countries in Europe, which is reflected in their economic growth. Over the past 5 years, we have managed to increase the difference between the economies of Georgia and Moldova by approximately $ 14 billion,” the Prime Minister said.According to the head of government, in order to end the political crisis in Georgia, a legal ban on the “Collective National Movement” is necessary, for which the ruling team has already applied to the Constitutional Court.Kobakhidze compared the opposition unity to the German National Socialist Party.“I compare the German National Socialist Party in its essence to the collective “National Movement”, which is a fascist-Bolshevik union in content. Our desire is that parliamentary elections be held without these four radical unconstitutional parties. Our country cannot constantly revolve in this vicious circle, when on one side there is the ruling party and on the other side there is a radical, anti-state and anti-church opposition. This vicious circle must be broken,” Kobakhidze noted.The Prime Minister emphasized that the demand to ban the opposition is based on their past activities and constant “sabotage”. According to him, the lawsuit presents many arguments, including “human torture, business racketeering and media hijacking”. According to Kobakhidze, after the radical forces are removed, the arena will be given over to a “healthy political spectrum” by 2028.In the context of foreign policy, Irakli Kobakhidze also spoke about the expectation of a reset of relations with the US and specified the timing of communication.“There are very specific plans. You will see specific results by the end of May, communication will take place in specific directions. We have a specific agenda agreed with the American side and a number of communications will take place by the end of May. I did not say April, I am telling you May,” he added.

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The candidates are:  Locum Tenens of Catholicos-Patriarch, Metropolitan of Senaki and Chkhorotsku Shio (Mujiri); Metropolitan of Mroveli-Urbneli Iobi (Akiashvili); and Metropolitan of Poti and Khobi Grigoli (Berbichashvili).The Synod selected three candidates from a total of six nominees. According to the results of the secret ballot, Metropolitan Shio received 20 votes, while Metropolitans Iobi and Grigoli received seven votes each.As Senior Deacon Andria Jagmaidze, Public Relations Officer of the Patriarchate, told journalists, the other candidates were Bishop Grigol Katsia, Bishop Dositeos, and Bishop Melchizedek."Today's Synod has ended. As always, the Synod's resolution will be read out later by the Synod Secretary. Today, the Patriarchal candidates were selected. Three candidates were selected: the enthroned Shio, Bishop Job, and Bishop Grigol. Subsequently, as you know, the vote between these three candidates will be held at an expanded session, where the result of the vote will already show us who the future Patriarch will be. The date is not yet known. As for who received how many votes, the enthroned Patriarch received 20 votes, the other two candidates received 7 votes each. Bishop Grigol Katsia, Bishop Dositheos, and Bishop Melkisedek were also nominated as candidates. The main principle issue that was to be resolved at today's session was that the entries in the Management-Board Regulation be strictly implemented, and the Synod was guided by this," Jagmaidze told journalists.

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