Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia

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Nino Tandilashvili: "The possibility of developing eco-tourism infrastructure in protected areas is a European approach, that has been adopted and approved in many countries".

According to the First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mrs. Nino Tandilashvili, environmental protection is an essential part of the European integration process, within which activities are currently underway. 2023 was noteworthy in the environmental area, particularly the law of Georgia: "On Biodiversity" approved by the Government of Georgia at the end of the year. The mentioned law fully reflects the EU principles of biodiversity protection, especially in the fields of protected areas and nature protection. 

 "We need to create and expand the network of protected areas in the country. Georgia is a unique country with its nature and biodiversity, which on the one hand, requires caution and intentional consumption while expanding the eco-tourism potential and contributing to regional development. This is exactly the European approach adopted and approved in many countries", Mrs. Nino Tandilashvili noted.

According to the Deputy Minister, efforts on eco-tourism development were actively taken in 2023 in Georgia, including constructing a network of trails of nearly 1,200 km in protected areas and numerous significant eco-tourism-related initiatives. Among these are the Baldi Canyon and Martvili Canyon development projects in Martvili municipality.

"The creation of protected areas is followed by the development of eco-tourism infrastructure, creation of an additional center of attraction in the region and other new opportunities for the local population, in addition to employment, involvement of residents in small or medium-sized businesses: construction of hotels, development of catering facilities, which, in itself, are accompanied by eco-tourism services. It is worth mentioning that the prospect of creating eco-tourism infrastructure in European nations and the United States of America is open to both the private and public sectors.


We should encourage the private sector in this direction. Moreover, promoting eco-tourism is considered one of the top priorities of rural development in the European Union. Therefore, our people need to be clearly and properly understood and allow the private sector to create particular eco-tourism services in addition to safeguarding the environment. All mentioned above does not imply that residents are restricted from accessing areas on the ground. On the contrary, it will bring them additional benefits, " said the Deputy Minister.