Adzharia: entrepreneurs expect inrush of tourists in August

In July hotels of seaside resorts in Adzharia were occupied only by 20-25 percent. According to experts, the high season in the city of Batumi starts only in August. At this time tourists from Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and other countries arrive there.

"The season start is always so languid. Only a fourth part of our rooms are occupied," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by a co-owner of the Hotel "Amirani".

More than half of the rooms in the Hotel "Rolandi" were empty. "Therefore we keep democratic rates: 35 laris (20 US dollars) per person per day – just to recoup the taxes and utility bills. Only in August we'll make some profit and increase the rates," says Irakli, a hotel receptionist.

"Actually, I would advise my friends to come in mid-September, when you can sit at Batumi cafes quietly. In August the city is always overcrowded, and in its centre you can hardly find a free place even on a bench, let alone a cafe," says Nato Glonti, a Batumi resident.

Maria Davitadze, Chief of the Information Centre at the Department of Tourism of Adzharia, said that this year more than 1.2 million guests are expected to visit the republic. According to official data, last year 974,563 persons visited Adzharia, and that number was by 76 percent higher than that of 2008 (554,150 people). In 2010, most tourists came to Adzharia from Turkey (43.7 percent), Armenia (31.7 percent), and Azerbaijan (14 percent).