This summer Abkhazia has fewer tourists than last year

According to the State Committee on Resorts and Tourism of Abkhazia, during the current holiday season the number of tourists, coming to Abkhazia, has reduced by at least 15 per cent in comparison with that of last year.

The main reason is declared to be the decline of world tourism. Furthermore, tourism is affected by the situation on the Russian-Abkhazian border, where due to modernization works at a pedestrian bridge only a highway bridge operates, which is used by vehicles and pedestrians at the same time.

Despite the fact that the Abkhazian and Russian sides have much simplified the rules of border crossing, long queues appear here during the peak holiday season. Every day, overcoming all the difficulties, vacationers come to Abkhazia, mostly from the Russian regions, and many of them arrive by their own cars.

Every day, the republic is visited by one-day sightseeing tour buses, this year their number has considerably reduced. Last year up to 70 sightseeing tour buses crossed the border daily, this year – only up to 40 such buses.

As a rule, sightseers visit the Lake Ritsa, the world famous Novy Afon Cave, the Sukhumi Botanical Garden, the Apery, and the Orthodox holy places.

Tengiz Lakerbaya, Chairman of the State Committee on Resorts and Tourism of Abkhazia, speaking of the problems faced by tourists in Abkhazia, mentioned among that problems, above all, disparity in rates and quality of tour operators' services, and the fact that the material base of the majority of accommodation facilities fail to meet the requirements for servicing of tourists.