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

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The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Otar Shamugia, accompanied by media representatives, paid a visit to Kolkheti National Park.

" Developing protected areas is one of the directions where we have made visible progress. Every year, we are establishing new protected areas. Over the past ten years, more than thirty new protected areas have been created in the country. Moreover, we currently embrace 100 protected areas covering more than 900,000 hectares. This year, a new national park was established in the Guria region, and we are actively working on expanding the existing protected area in Racha and creating protected areas in the Samegrelo and Upper Svaneti regions. First and foremost, all mentioned above is crucial for protecting our unique nature and preserving our biodiversity. Meanwhile, our protected areas have a great potential for ecotourism, and we are making the most of using this potential properly.
 

The private sector and the state have invested over GEL 200 million in infrastructure development over the past few years. The number of visitors to our protected areas is annually increasing. 
The income of the Agency of Protected Areas and, more importantly, the local community involved in expanding tourist services is increasing. Notably, this is one of the best opportunities for communities to engage in the service process, services, and earning income, and we have plenty of similar cases. Our strategy serves the same purpose, to safeguard and care for our nature while also attracting more tourists, creating an opportunity for even more economic development in the region", said the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mr Otar Shamugia.

During the media tour, the Minister and the media representatives visited one of the outstanding and popular protected areas of Georgia -Kolkheti National Park, which was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status. 

The media representatives also toured the remarkable protected areas in Georgia, including Okatse Canyon, Okatse Waterfall, Tetra Cave, and Kolkheti National Park. Moreover, the visitors had the opportunity to learn about the activities offered to them while visiting the national park.

During the tour, the participants received information about the two-month campaign of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture to promote the country's tourism potential. 

As part of the campaign, banners and information materials with the messages "Discover the Nature of Georgia" and "Georgia is the Homeland of Wine" are placed in Georgian airports. Guests receive information about Georgia's distinctive landscape and Georgian wine as they cross the border.