2018-03-25
"It is a joyous day. Our country, namely Kakheti, now has another gorgeous hotel, the Akhasheni Wine Resort, furnished with absolutely modern infrastructure. 7,500,000 GEL has been invested in this hotel jointly by Produce in Georgia, a program under the Free Trade Agreement with Europe, and with co-financing from the Bank of Georgia. This partnership has created this beautiful hotel complex, in this most gorgeous place on earth, in the micro-zone of the Alazani Valley and Papris Mindvrebi, with a spellbinding view of the Caucasus Mountains. Importantly, this investment has created tens of new jobs, but its spillover effect is far larger," Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili stated during today's opening ceremony of the Akhasheni Wine Resort Hotel in the village of Akhasheni, Gurjaani District, in Kakheti.
The Prime Minister thanked Kakheti Traditional Winemaking (KTW) and personally Zurab Chkhaidze for investing heavily in viticulture, and praised the work of the company's founders as a patriotic cause.
According to Kvirikashvili, the number of tourists in the country is growing every year, with a 28% growth was recorded last year, and there are good prospects of the current statistics tripling by 2025, which will have a positive impact on the country's welfare. The standards of living will improve, and new jobs will be created.
"Kakheti Traditional Winemaking is also investing heavily in viticulture, and I would like to thank Mr. Zurab Chkhaidze for the patriotic cause both here and throughout Georgia. It is rewarding that the tourism in Kakheti is advancing to a new level qualitatively. Demand on this type of hotels grows significantly every year, and the number of tourists grew 28%. We have real potential to triple the number of visitors in Georgia by 2025. I mean tourist visitors, and we can increase their number to 10 million. It is very important for achieving a totally different level of living in Georgia, significantly raise the level of employment, and improve tremendously the country's visual representation," the Prime Minister stated.
Giorgi Kvirikashvili singled out the future development of the Kakheti Region.
"Heavy investments in Kakheti are very important. We have already agreed with private investors to establish special programs here. We mentioned the Verbier Festival in Switzerland. We plan to establish a similar educational and music, namely classic music, regional program in Tzinandali to prepare youths. This annual program will engage young people from both Georgia and neighboring countries," the Head of State emphasized.
According to the Prime Minister, Tusheti and Kakheti should not be viewed separately, and paid special attention to the new road one-third the current length of travel by car from Tbilisi to Tusheti.
"Of course, Tusheti and Kakheti cannot be viewed separately. Important investments are made by the state in this direction. A new road is under construction in Tusheti, enabling to travel from Tbilisi to Tusheti three times faster. All this will bring about much higher dynamics and significantly improve the standard of living in this region. I believe that we have reach a stage when Kakheti needs its own airport. This issue is being considered, and in cooperation with the same private sector, we will be able to hold direct charter flights to Kakheti at the initial stage, and even regular flight subsequently.
I believe that the current railroad is a great treasure. As you know, building a new railroad is very expensive, and we have a Kakheti-bound railroad that has not been completely ruined yet. The state absolutely must consider restoring it. Tourism is unimaginable with rail transport, which is why I reiterate that it is not just about a hotel. It is part of our country's great success, which will surely allow us to come here, see children with their eyes shining with hope of the future, see Georgian farmers standing on their own two feet, and we will see Georgia shine forth, of course, with its most beautiful God-granted landscapes that we must cherish," the Prime Minister said in his speech.
Giorgi Kvirikashvili also emphasized that Georgia, on one hand, has a history of winemaking spanning 8,000 years. On the other hand, Georgia is a country of progress and synergy.
"Georgia is a country of progress and synergy. Our country's winemaking traditions span 8,000 years. On one hand, Georgia is the cradle of wine with the most ancient traditions. On the other hand, the solar energy system in this hotel was in created and stalled by Georgian engineers. I would like to urge all businesspersons and investors who will build new beautiful hotels to trust Georgian innovators and scientists, some of the most talented in the world, who are capable of creating absolutely competitive, ultramodern systems. Please accept my congratulations on this exceptional success," the Prime Minister underscored and wished success to KTW in its future endeavors.
The Akhasheni Wine Resort was implemented under the Produce in Georgia state program, with financing from DCFTA (the SME Development Project under the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement) and the Bank of Georgia.
The hotel is fully adapted to accommodate persons with special needs. In addition, the Akhasheni Wine Resort will promote the 8,000 year-old history of Georgia's ancient winemaking traditions among locals and tourists alike.
Prime Minister's Press Office