TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR IMERETI CAVES PROTECTED AREA Final Transboundary Joint Secretariat for the Southern Caucasus ASSESSING AND DEVELOPING THE ECO-TOURISM POTENTIAL OF THE PROTECTED AREAS IN GEORGIA Contract number: 2008.65.550 / 2013.11.001 Version: Final 12.01.2014 Issue/Version No.: Final Contract No.: 2008.65.550 / 2013.11.001 Date: 7.11.2014 Contact Information: Paula Ruiz Rodrigo Österreichische Bundesforste AG Consulting Pummergasse 10-12 3002 Purkersdorf Austria T: +43 2231 600 5570 F: +43 2231 600 5509 [email protected] www.oebfconsulting.at Authors: Janez Sirse / Lela Khartishvili Financed by: Transboundary Joint Secretariat ASSESSING AND DEVE LOPING THE ECO - TOURISM POTENTIAL OF THE PROTECTED AREAS I N G E O R G I A TOURISM STRATEGY - FINAL CONTENT CONTENT ........................................................................................................................ I ANNEXES ...................................................................................................................... III LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... IV LIST OF TABLES ..............................................................................................................V ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................... VII 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 8 2 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................. 9 3 PROFILE OF IMERETI CAVES PROTECTED AREA .................................................... 11 4 BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF TOURISM IN IMERETI CAVES ................................... 15 4.1 TOURISM VISITS TO IMERETI CAVES .................................................................. 15 4.2 MAIN MARKETS AND PROFILE OF VISITORS TO IMERETI CAVES ............................. 17 5 SWOT AND VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS OF IMERETI CAVES PROTECTED AREA ............. 21 5.1 SWOT – STRENGTH, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS EVALUATION.... 21 5.2 VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS OF TOURISM IN IMERETI CAVES ..................................... 25 6 TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS IN IMERETI CAVES PROTECTED AREA ........................... 27 7 TOURISM PRODUCTS AND POTENTIALS IN PAS .................................................... 29 8 TOURISM TRENDS AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN PROTECTED AREAS ..................... 31 8.1 KEY TOURISM TRENDS ...................................................................................... 31 8.2 TOURISM TRENDS IN PROTECTED AREAS ............................................................ 31 8.3 TOURISM GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN PAS AND KARST CAVES ................................... 33 9 MARKET POTENTIAL FOR IMERETI CAVES PROTECTED AREA .................................. 35 9.1 MARKET SEGMENTATION ................................................................................... 35 9.2 MARKET POTENTIAL FOR IMERETI CAVES ............................................................ 36 10 VISION AND OBJECTIVES OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN IMERETI CAVES PA ......... 37 11 STRATEGIC PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IN IMERETI CAVES PROTECTED AREA ............ 39 11.1 SBU – STRATEGIC BUSINESS UNIT PRINCIPLE AND TOURISM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IN IMERETI CAVES ...................................................................... 39 11.2 STRATEGIC TOURISM PRODUCT STRUCTURE IN IMERETI CAVES PA IN 2013 AND 2020 ............................................................................................................... 44 11.3 DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROJECTS ....................................................... 46 11.4 HR – HUMAN RESOURCE, EDUCATION AND TRAININGS ........................................ 48 11.5 IMERETI CAVES PA BUDGET AND REVENES.......................................................... 50 11.6 PROMOTION AND MARKETING ............................................................................ 50 11.6.1 INFORMATION AND PROMOTION MATERIALS ....................................................... 51 11.6.2 PROMOTION, MARKETING AND SALES ................................................................. 52 11.7 ORGANIZATION OF PA’S MANAGEMENT AND STAKEHOLDERS’ COOPERATION .......... 54 11.8 QUALITY STANDARDS AND BRAND DEVELOPMENT ............................................... 55 11.9 REVENUE POLICY .............................................................................................. 56 11.10 SUSTAINABLE TOURISM POLICY ......................................................................... 60 11.11 SAFETY AND SECURITY ..................................................................................... 62 12 ACTION PLAN ................................................................................................... 64 13 EFFECTS OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN IMERETI CAVES ...................................... 69 13.1 ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL EFFECTS ....................................................................... 69 13.2 CHALLENGES AND RESTRICTIONS ...................................................................... 69 13.3 MONITORING OF REALIZATIO OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN ......................................... 70 14 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................ 71 15 BASIC LITERATURE AND SOURCES ..................................................................... 73 16 ANNEXES ......................................................................................................... 74 ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG i ASSESSING AND DEVE LOPING THE ECO - TOURISM POTENTIAL OF THE PROTECTED AREAS I N G E O R G I A TOURISM STRATEGY - FINAL ANNEX 1 WORKING MATERIA ABOUT IMERETI CAVES PROTECTED AREA COLLECTED DURING ASSESSMENT PHASE ............................................................................ 74 1 IMERETI CAVES PROTECTED AREA ...................................................................... 75 1.1 BASIC PROFILE OF PROTECTED AREA ................................................................. 75 1.2 ANALYSIS OF IDOLS, COMPETITIORS AND STAKEHOLDERS ................................... 80 1.3 SWOT ANALYSIS FOR PROTECTED AREA .............................................................. 82 1.4 ANALYSIS OF EXISTING AND POTENTIAL TOURIST PRODUCTS............................... 86 ANNEX 2 ILLUSTRATION OF TOURISM EXISTING AND POTENTIAL PRODUCTS FOR IMERETI CAVES AND OKATSE CANYON ............................................................................ 88 ANNEX 3 EVALUATION OF ATTRACTIVENESS AND COMPETITIVENESS OF NEW TOURISM PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IN IMERETI CAVES ..................................................... 97 ANNEX 4 PROPOSAL OF SELECTED INTERNATIONAL MARKETING PARTNERS AND CHANNELS FOCUSED ON NATURE AND ADVENTURE TOURISM ............................. 100 ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG ii ASSESSING AND DEVE LOPING THE ECO - TOURISM POTENTIAL OF THE PROTECTED AREAS I N G E O R G I A TOURISM STRATEGY - FINAL ANNEXES ANNEX 1 WORKING MATERIA ABOUT IMERETI CAVES PROTECTED AREA COLLECTED DURING ASSESSMENT PHASE ............................................................................ 74 ANNEX 2 ILLUSTRATION OF TOURISM EXISTING AND POTENTIAL PRODUCTS FOR IMERETI CAVES AND OKATSE CANYON ............................................................................ 88 ANNEX 3 EVALUATION OF ATTRACTIVENESS AND COMPETITIVENESS OF NEW TOURISM PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IN IMERETI CAVES ..................................................... 97 ANNEX 4 PROPOSAL OF SELECTED INTERNATIONAL MARKETING PARTNERS AND CHANNELS FOCUSED ON NATURE AND ADVENTURE TOURISM ............................. 100 ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG iii ASSESSING AND DEVE LOPING THE ECO - TOURISM POTENTIAL OF THE PROTECTED AREAS I N G E O R G I A TOURISM STRATEGY - FINAL LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: LOCATION OF IMERETI CAVES PROTECTED AREA AND SATAPLIA NATURE RESERVE12 FIGURE 2: PLAN OF PROMETHEUS CAVE ........................................................................... 13 FIGURE 3: TOURISM TRENDS IN PROTECTED AREAS.......................................................... 32 FIGURE 4: LEVEL OF ATTRACTIVENESS AND COMPETITIVENESS OF 11 NEW TOURISM PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IN IMERETI CAVES .............................................. 45 FIGURE 5: THE STRUCTURE OF VISITORS ACCORDING TO EXPERIENCES THAT THEY EXPECT IN IMERETI CAVES PROTECTED AREA IN 2013 AND IN 2020TOURISM STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION MODEL – RESOURCES AND POLICY .................................... 46 ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG iv ASSESSING AND DEVE LOPING THE ECO - TOURISM POTENTIAL OF THE PROTECTED AREAS I N G E O R G I A TOURISM STRATEGY - FINAL LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1: BASIC INFORMATION OF IMERETI CAVES PROTECTED AREA (STATUS END OF 2013)14 TABLE 2: NUMBER AND STRUCTURE OF EMPLOYEES IN IMERETI CAVES (STATUS MID OF 2014)14 TABLE 3: NUMBER OF VISITORS TO IMERETI CAVES FROM 2009 TILL 2013 .......................... 15 TABLE 4: THE PROPORTION OF DOMESTIC VISITORS TO IMERETI CAVES FROM 2009 TO 201315 TABLE 5: DISTRIBUTION OF VISITORS TO IMERETI CAVES BY MONTHS IN 2013................... 16 TABLE 6: SEASONALITY OF VISITATION TO IMERETI CAVES AND TO PAS IN GEORGIA IN 201316 TABLE 7: INTENSITY OF VISITATION TO IMERETI CAVES AND PAS IN GEORGIA BY MONTHS IN 2013 ........................................................................................................ 17 TABLE 8: MAIN COUNTRIES