Abstracts - International Initiative for Georgian Cultural Studies

Knut Gerber
GTZ. Germany
About Economic Effects in Cultural Tourism - More Chances Than Risks?
Concerning Georgia as a host country of increasing number of cultural tourists I would have more questions
than answers today…
Behind the “cultural tourism” in Europe stand some hard facts& figures, i.e. 23,5% of all tourist arrivals
are coming from “cultural tourists”, from them are more than 31 Mio so called “general cultural tourists”
and 3,5 Mio “specific cultural tourists”. This gives a flash light of possible consequences for host regions,
for their inhabitants and even for the heritage of any cultural resource.
What stands for economic effects of (cultural) tourism?
Mainly more consumption through more arrivals and overnight stays, That means more tax income in
host region including additional multiplication of similar effects for local entrepreneurs in tourism, culture
and productive services.
Cultural tourism creates working places, in cultural, and in productive sectors. The increased demand in
labor force is followed by social and again positive tax effects.
Cultural tourism is becoming more important for designing a new profile of a destination. It helps to
develop the soft factors of a location, being more and more important for investor’s decision making processes
and it has also qualitative and immaterial aspects for future living environment.
Cultural tourism is working all seasons. That means the location has no peaks in high season and all
economic effects are existing during year.
Cultural tourism has a share in development of endogen potentials. A region/city will have its own
identity which creates an USP at markets, helps to develop cross border tolerance of inhabitants and entrepreneurs
activities and therefore creates new business contacts and opportunities.
What stands for negative economic effects in cultural tourism?
First the commercialization of tourism itself! In case cultural services are given only for profit reasons
and not longer for presenting the internal value of a cultural good. To have a maximum in arrivals etc.,
very often cultural services are deformed to find a much better access to tourist’s expectations. But then the
identity is very often lost, because of being only a show! This leads to a shrinking local identity with the
cultural product and the concept behind.
Most relevant is that more tourist arrivals lead to more traffic, to more noise, pollution and other burdens
for environment. The attraction of a destination is decreasing. Not to forget the not reversible wear of
historical substance of buildings.
Betsy Haskell
Tourism committee, American Chamber of Commerce in Georgia. USA
Georgian Tourism
Georgia is rich in antiquities, cultural and archeological sites and is a fascinating place to visit. Anyone
with a spade who digs three to four meters down in almost any part of Georgia will uncover a fifth or sixth
century town or village.
In addition, Georgia has a varied and legendary topography, from the highest peaks of the Caucasus
range to the desert-like terrain surrounding the Monastery of Davit Gareji. Numbers of unique examples
of flora and fauna are found in Georgia as well, but, at the moment, it takes an intrepid traveler to find and
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CULTURAL TOURISM