Welcome, everybody!

A year ago we, with the local businessmen, worked out a plan to build new highways in Bakuriani. This means regaining the status of a country of tourism for Georgia. There is a great competition in the tourism market, however the Georgian ski resorts have no competitors.

Last year I visited almost all the Ukrainian resorts; I also visited Europe where people know about Bakuriani and Gudauri. This means that we can attract hundreds of thousand of tourists. It means that hundred of thousand of people will spend money here, hundreds of thousand of people will get rich and get on their feet. In the long run it would help Georgia become a rich country.

When people are talking about what the Rose Revolution has changed, we can boldly say that everything has been changed, including skiing. The first thing that was done after the revolution was starting building a road in Gudauri. Several new hotels have been built there also.

Today, the first modern cable way in the post-Soviet space is being opened in Bakuriani. I would like to thank those who made this come true.

This is only the start.

As for quick progress, I don't think there is more impatient person in Georgia than me. I dream to have a magic wand, wave it and build thousands of hotels on these mountains, attract millions of tourists, build Georgia and make it a prosperous country.

But it requires time, patience and hard work.

If you are not blind, you will notice that Georgia is developing far too quickly than the more well-off countries.

New resorts are being built in Adjara, Borjomi and Bakuriani.

I would like to publicly declare our decision - every private, big businessmen who will build a hotel here will be given this cable way free of charge.

Number of tourists have doubled in Gudauri. There is no longer any problem associated with energy supply here.

I would like to announce that this cable way will serve all the skiers free of charge for one month.

Skiing should become people's favorite sport. Until now this kind of sport was not affordable for everyone. However, today much more people can afford it than two years ago.

Two years ago a small group of people earned money and these people were mainly the government officials.

Today, much more people can earn money, with the difference that these people are not government officials, they simply get high salaries.

Today, much more people can transact business.

Every citizen of Georgia should afford to rest here.

Communications Office
of the President of Georgia