Cultural Tourism in Georgia: Opportunities at Global and Local Levels

Abstract

There is an opinion that culture and tourism have a symbolic relationship with each other. Art, dance, rituals, and legends are at risk of being forgotten by modern generations, but they can be revived by tourists who have an interest in the cultures of ancient countries such as Georgia. Monuments and cultural heritage can even be protected by foundations and organizations in the field of tourism and culture, which protect and popularize them and at the same time increase the number of visitors. Today, creativity and modern technologies are changing the connection between culture and tourism. This has made cultural tourism become more desirable and accessible. With the help of technologies, it is getting closer and closer to modern approaches than it was in the past. The paper outlines the challenges of developing sustainable cultural tourism in Georgia. Statistics on state documents, projects, and cultural tours organized by local tour companies was also discussed. They employed both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies which showed that besides pandemic, there is a demand for cultural tourism. Georgian tour companies are offering a wide range of cultural tours and tourists have interest in it. Its full potential has not been harnessed and the main attention is paid to UNESCO heritage. The development of cultural tourism poses challenges (e.g., implementation of digital technologies, quality control mechanisms) for Georgia to become more recognizable within this kind of synergy, which is called the fusion of culture and tourism.