Regional Aspects of the Tourism Development Program in Georgia

Tourism, as one of the leading sectors of the Georgian economy, plays a key role in the development and competitiveness of the country. Despite growing discussions about ways to measure competitiveness, the relation between regional aspects and tourism competitiveness remains unexplored. Thus, the purpose of this article is to identify regional aspects of tourist attractiveness and develop recommendations for the tourism development program of Georgia. This study focuses on competitiveness analysis on the regional level. When considering competitiveness, a methodology used to comprehensive assess the resource potential of regions. The following tourism indicators of the regions considered in the article: cultural and historical sights, tourist infrastructure, natural resources and event activities. The results of the analysis determine the regions into three groups: currently competing, having potential for competition and having a weak potential for competition. In conclusion proposed recommendations for developing a tourism development program in Georgia.