TBILISI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st August, 2023) Georgia could be losing $1 billion and up to 30,000 jobs annually if the country complies with the opposition's demand to prohibit entry to Russian tourists, leader of Georgia's ruling party Georgian Dream, Irakli Kobakhidze, said on Tuesday.
"We heard out statements calling for banning entry to Russian tourists. Does anyone agree with that? I am sure that no one does. For example, if Russian tourists stop visiting Georgia, the country would lose around $1 billion in one year, and our economy amounts to $30 billion. This also means that 20,000-30,000 jobs would be lost,"�Kobakhidze said at a briefing.
Last week, Georgian opposition in the coastal city of Batumi staged a protest against the arrival of the Astoria Grande cruise ship with Russian tourists on board. The opposition claimed that the ship's entry was in violation of international sanctions.�Georgian authorities said that the ship did not meet any criteria for sanctions as it is registered in Panama.
On Monday morning, the same ship returned in Batumi on another cruise. Georgian protesters gathered at the port the night before, anticipating the ship's arrival, but this time the police reinforced security measures and sealed off�access to the ship with�metal barriers. Officers carried out 23 detentions at this latest demonstration.
The cruise agency responsible for Astoria Grande's route told Sputnik that the ship would no longer stop at the port in Batumi.
