Contextual Research of the Market Potential of Historical and Cultural Tourism in the Black Sea Basin
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www.greethis.net Contextual research of the market potential of historical and cultural tourism in the Black Sea basin Georgia November 2020 1 www.greethis.net The contextual research of the market potential of historical and cultural tourism in the Black Sea basin includes following particularly interesting municipalities - Batumi, Poti, Kobuleti, Lanchkhuti, of one of the most ancient countries of the Eastern Black Sea region – Georgia. Flag and coat of arms of Poti Municipality Flag and coat of arms of Lanchkhuti municipality Flag and coat of arms of Batumi municipality 2 www.greethis.net Flag and coat of arms of Kobuleti municipality 3 www.greethis.net Contents CHAPTER I ........................................................................................................ 6 About the project ............................................................................................. 6 CHAPTER II ........................................................................................................ 7 Green and Historical Tourism Trends in Georgia .......................................................... 7 Legislation, academic publications, articles ............................................................ 7 Statistical data ................................................................................................. 13 Resident Visitors ............................................................................................. 13 Non-resident visitors ........................................................................................ 15 CHAPTER III...................................................................................................... 19 Green and historical/cultural tourism infrastructure .................................................. 19 POTI MUNICIPALITY ....................................................................................... 19 LANCHKHUTI MUNICIPALITY ............................................................................. 37 BATUMI MUNICIPALITY .................................................................................... 49 Sights of Batumi: ............................................................................................... 51 Batumi Archaeological Museum .............................................................................. 52 Ethnographic museum „Borjghalo“ ........................................................................ 53 Khariton Akhvlediani Museum of Adjara .................................................................... 54 Nobel Brothers Technology Museum ......................................................................... 55 Colonnades ...................................................................................................... 57 Statue of Medea ................................................................................................ 58 Batumi Botanical Garden ...................................................................................... 59 Batumi Dolphinarium .......................................................................................... 60 KOBULETI MUNICIPALITY ................................................................................. 66 CHAPTER IV ..................................................................................................... 84 Contextual research of the market potential of tourism development ............................. 84 Survey ...................................................................................................... 84 CHAPTER V ..................................................................................................... 93 Cultural heritage in the eastern Black Sea coast ....................................................... 93 POTI, LANCHKHUTI, BATUMI, KOBULETI ............................................................... 93 CHAPTER VI .................................................................................................... 116 Viticulture and wine making culture in the eastern Black Sea coast ............................... 116 Samegrelo, Guria, Adjara ............................................................................... 116 4 www.greethis.net Endemic vine varieties ..................................................................................... 117 Samegrelo, Guria, Adjara ............................................................................... 117 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 124 APPENDIXES .................................................................................................... 127 Appendix N1. ................................................................................................ 127 Appendix N2 ................................................................................................. 133 Appendix N3 ................................................................................................. 135 Appendix N4 ................................................................................................. 137 5 www.greethis.net CHAPTER I About the project Contextual research of the market potential of historical and cultural tourism in the Black Sea Basin has been prepared at the request of the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALA) within the project "Green Tourism and Historical Heritage - Fundamentals of Black Sea Basin Development". The presented research includes following municipalities of the Black Sea region of western Georgia: Poti, Batumi, Kobuleti and Lanchkhuti. The research takes into account green and historical/cultural tourism infrastructure in these municipalities according to each pilot site. Information on protected objects in the target municipalities was collected through communication and cooperation with local and central government organizations. The research presents trends of tourism development in Georgia - statistical data by resident and non-resident visitors, which includes data from National Statistics Office of Georgia for 2015-2018 and three quarters of 2019. It also encompasses statistics of foreign citizens crossing the state border of Georgia according to the data of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia for 2015-2019. The research team actively cooperated with relevant services of presented municipalities, which helped the team to retrieve and collect necessary documentary and photo materials. 6 www.greethis.net CHAPTER II Green and Historical Tourism Trends in Georgia Legislation, academic publications, articles Green and historical tourism in Georgia is distinguished by significant opportunities in the region (Transcaucasia) due to its historical past and rich natural-geographical location. The development of tourism dates back to the dawn of the 19TH-XX centuries. Georgian scientists and researchers are involved in a campaign for protection and popularization of cultural heritage and natural monuments. In 1925, a group of Georgian students led by Giorgi Nikoladze, the professor at Tbilisi State University, made the first historic ascent of the Mount Elbrus. This fact was preceded by intensive and multifaceted expeditions in the mountains of Georgia by the public interested in green and historical tourism. The legislative history of regulation, protection and promotion of green and historical tourism in the context of independent Georgia dates back to April 9, 1991, when the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia adopted a resolution on the restoration of independence on the basis of the Independence Act of May 26, 1918. Accordingly, relevant laws and legislative acts of the Georgian SSR and the USSR were brought in line with the aspirations and goals of the new independent and free country. Georgia became a full member of UNESCO on October 7, 1992. In the same year, National Commission for UNESCO and the Secretariat were established in the country, which operate on the basis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. The Commission is responsible for coordinating cooperation between Georgia and UNESCO. The list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites currently includes 1073 monuments, including 3 cultural heritage sites of Georgia: 1. Historical monuments of Mtskheta were included in the UNESCO list in 1994 and it encompasses the Mtskheta Jvari, Svetitskhoveli and Samtavro. Due to the maintenance system and inconsistent construction, they were included in the list of endangered monuments at the 33rd session of the World Heritage Committee in 2009. 2. Gelati Monastery Complex was added to the UNESCO list in 1994. It is noteworthy that Bagrati Cathedral also received a nomination and was included in the 7 www.greethis.net list. In 2010, Bagrati Temple and Gelati Monastery were included in the list of endangered World Heritage Sites at the 34th session of the UNESCO Committee. In 2017, the Gelati Monastery Complex was removed from this list, and by the decision of the same session the Bagrati Temple was also removed in 2017 and was no longer under protection of the UNESCO due to the implemented reconstruction. 3. Upper Svaneti was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996. It includes the historical settlement of Upper Svaneti, the village of Chazha in the Ushguli community. In 2007, the Ministry of Culture, Monument Protection and Sports of Georgia submitted a pilot list of candidates for the cultural heritage list to UNESCO. So far, neither of the candidates have been prepared for the