GWTO President José Antonio Vidal met with Kakha Kakabadze, Vice Minister of Environment and Agriculture, with David Songulashvili, Chair of the Sector Economy and Economic Policy Committee at Parliament of Georgia, with Levan Andriashvili, Mayor of Telavi (Kakheti), with Levan Mekhuzla and Zurab Vacharadze, President and Vice-President of the National Wine Agency, with Kakha and Vakhtang Tsivtsicpvdze, President and Director of the Caucasus International University, and with Kety Gorgiladze, co-founder of the Georgian EnoTourism Association (GETA).
During the meetings, the importance of the development of enotourism in Georgia and the quality of wine was emphasised.
“Georgia is a country with an 8000 year old wine tradition. We attach special importance to this rich history, working to improve the quality of wine and increase its export. It is also relevant to note that tourism is experiencing rapid growth in the country; both tourism and the thriving wine industry drive our economy. Sharing best practices in any field, including enotourism, is a necessary and important condition for development,” Kakha Kakabadze stressed.
“Enotourism is gaining popularity globally, and this goes beyond wine tasting. Tourists also enjoy exploring vineyards, and Kakheti is the ideal place to boost this facet of tourism. With Mr Vidal, we discussed prospects for future collaboration. For us, it is crucial to share and benefit from his wisdom and experience. Mutual cooperation promotes positioning Georgia as one of the world’s leading enotourism destinations,” said Levan Andriashvili, Mayor of Telavi.
The President of GWTOn visited the Caucasus International University. José Antonio Vidal met with CIU leaders and discussed with them the main aspects of future cooperation focused on the implementation of joint academic and educational projects in enotourism management.
During his visit to CIU, the president of GWTO visited the library, the multimedia centre, the material and technical base of the faculty of business and viticulture and oenology, the laboratories and the “Kolkhi” winery where guests learned about the production process of the university company “Ethno-Okami”, the potential of converting the existing spaces into a tourist area and the traditions of Georgian winemaking.
“GWTO’s main objective is the socio-economic development of wine regions. To this end, we promote enotourism destinations in order to position them in global markets. The awareness and participation of all chain actors is fundamental in this process. We offer support to both the public and private sectors, as well as to the academic sphere: Strategic Plans, brand creation, MICE organization, booking platform, quality certification and professional training,” said José Antonio Vidal.
