It is a very significant and good day today, as the construction of the “Radisson” is being launched in Tsinandali.
Given the economic situation of Georgia, even the dream of it would have been impossible a few years ago.
When I became President there was not a single functioning hotel in Kakheti.
I would like to name what has been opened in Kakheti since 2004.
The following hotels have been opened in Telavi: “Lizi, “Rcheuli”, “Kavkasioni”, “Lopota”, “Shatomere”, “Vardisubani”, “Old Telavi”, “Teliani Valley”, “Bazieri”, Savaneti”, “Tamarioni”, “Kakhuri Ezo” and others.
Besides there being no hotels, there was no population left in Sighnaghi in 2004. The following hotels have been opened in Sighnaghi: “Sighnaghi”, “Pirosmani”, “Solomon 1805”, “Galavnis Kari”, “Old Sighnaghi”, “Deer’s Sight Look”, “Herio”, “Old District”, “Hotel House”.
Hotels in Kvareli would have seemed absurd in the last few centuries.
The following hotels have been opened in Kvareli: “Kvareli Lake”, “Kavkasioni”, “Chateau Bagrationi”…Gia Piradashvili is opening one of the best hotels in fall and the second best hotel “Holiday Inn” will also open, which is being built jointly by the Justice Learning Center and the “Roomsey” Company.
The hotel “Ambassadori” has been opened in Gurjaani, the resort Akhtala is being built there together with several hotels.
The hotel “Hereti” has been opened in Lagodekhi and the center is being renewed into a natural park.
Three hotels have been opened in Tusheti. It was impossible to even reach Tusheti a while ago, yet several more hotels will open there in the nearest future.
Besides Telavi, the American brand “Best Western” will also be added to Telavi in the fall of this year, which will be an alternate to “Intourist”.
The Telavi “Intourist” used to be the only hotel in Kakheti during the Soviet times, where people would go for partying and leisure.
It was clearly fixed during the Soviet times that Telavi had no touristic potential. Someone sat in Moscow in “Gosplan” (state planning), who according to their personal outlook would determine which resort was to be developed in Georgia. The resort had to be for instance, “Pitsunda” (Bichvinta) and Tskaltubo, which Stalin preferred; there was no need for resorts in Adjara; if the sea were necessary, then it had to be Gagra and so on.
Kakheti would never make it on this road.
Meanwhile, in terms of employment, tourism is the shortest way towards rapid economic success and the wellbeing of each family.
I know it best that many are still in poverty in the country, but those who speak most often about this on the TV, is not the poor at all, on the contrary, have a huge income. Such people have millions in bank accounts and do not care at all, for instance, about the poverty of the population of Tsinandali.
We know it well that a fifth of the population of Georgia is still below the poverty threshold. We know it well that there is 15 to 30 percent unemployment in the cities of Georgia.
Although it is true that this indicator has decreased by about three times for the past several years across the country, the number of unemployed is still significant.
There is only one way out of this situation, the only way for moving forward is the development of the economy in all directions.
The “Silk Road Group” is a rapidly developing Georgian company.
What was Georgia like during previous governments? The old ministers are trying frantically to come back into authority.
For them, Georgia was not an opportunity to do business. It was a criminalized, laggard country, from which people would leave. There was no prospect here and they never even gave it a thought to do something here.
Georgians, with their effort, not only created local companies in the past few years, but also exported our name to the international markets.
The “Silk Road Group” is an excellent showcase of that.
Besides this, small construction firms have been founded in Batumi that began by building 3 story buildings and are now constructing 40-50 story buildings today across the whole of Georgia.
The same concerns Tbilisi, the local business is developing in Kakheti.
We should understand that there are two types of countries: the first type are rich countries that have oil and gas, but given the absence of social equality no redistribution takes place there; while the second type includes countries like Singapore. This is a country of 5 million. There is no better mountain and valley there than in Georgia, let alone the natural resources, as they have no land and potable water. Yet, almost everyone has a job there.
When everyone will have their own business, or the majority will be employed in this business, when each person will stand on their feet and be better off, when everyone will be reassured that they will create a better future for their kids with their own work, and the government will help them in this as it is its function, our country will then be truly wealthy.
In this case there will be no threat of capital drain from Georgia as a result of certain developments in the world market. Everyone will have the feeling that this is their homeland, they have their origins rooted here, that this is their business and they do not want to go anywhere.
The owner of any business, for instance, that of a restaurant, hotel, construction company or road firm, who let’s say employs 100-150 people, is fully responsible for the prosperity of these 100-150 families.
There is also a corporate liability emerging in Georgia.
When Georgian businesses will be created with Georgian efforts they will create jobs for Georgian people, and Georgia will no longer end up in the hands of different forces and adventurers. This is already happening in our country.
I remember these boys who are working here on this construction quite well. The last business functioning in Tsinandali a few years ago had been the wine factory, which was handed over from one to the other and eventually it stopped as well. Everyone was left without a job then and practically no one had any prospects.
Considering what is happening here today, I am convinced that the unemployment problem in Kakheti will be entirely solved in a maximum of 2 years.
Of course, when there is no unemployment problem, there is always a problem of low wages emerging.
A person that has 300, 500, 700, and 800 GEL will want ever more.
The next stage is that of pretences, but let us move on to that stage first, so that no one has the employment problem and then address the low income issue.
That is why the Georgian business has to develop rapidly.
Do you know why Giorgi’s business is so important? They have built the “Radisson” in Batumi, which was recognized as the best hotel in this chain by all European experts; because they do their job with love.
The Batumi “Radisson” has been built by a Georgian, with the hands of Georgians and for Georgia. He has created it in order to stare at it every day; he has created it for his own family and the people surrounding him, for future generations and the prosperity of his country’s population.
With an attitude like this towards the work, everything will come out the best.
Georgia is not yet fully on its feet, it has lost so much time that we do not have the indulgence to use average, second or third layer quality, wait until we stock up the wealth and think about it afterwards.
Precisely now is the time to create everything that we develop of supreme quality, world class.
Let all of us be daring.
No matter how much we talk about how the Georgian government is showing off while the country is in poverty - yes, I am the first who says that the country is very much in poverty, but specifically because of this, the Georgian phenomenon is entirely unique.
People in Ukraine, Moldova, Central Asia, countries of the Caucasus, North Ossetia and in fact, even in Russia are amazed by the Georgian phenomenon – you all know about it, that this is not my imagining?
Huge sums of money are being spent on inciting hatred about Georgia across the whole world.
Georgia is the most popular in our region, as these people come and see everything with their own eyes.
No matter how much they talk about refraining from traveling to Georgia, people will still come – hotels in Tbilisi are full of Russian tourists.
It is important for us that the great number of Russian tourists come to Georgia; see the truth about our country and share the truth back in their own country.
In this case no one will ever be able to convince people that it is necessary to disturb the situation and intervene in Georgia, as if cannibals were living here.
There will be many eyewitnesses and no one will believe this.
That is why tourism for us is not only an opportunity to create jobs for people, but a very important sphere for our security.
When I became a President, 120 thousand tourists would visit Georgia. We had 3 million visitors last year; we should have 4 million this year, while we will receive 5 million next year.
I can now say boldly that we have a potential to receive about 15 million tourists by 2015.
Calculate, if you will, the income received from them, including the amount received in taxes and in the end, we will receive several times increased indicator of Gross Domestic Product.
Of course, it needs to be later reflected on education, healthcare, social and other spheres, infrastructure and technologies.
Georgia cannot meet its demands only through tourism; this is a minimal basis of our prosperity, the rest is technologies, education, healthcare, better social protection, including for the most vulnerable. This is a matter of public appreciation, including our own self; this is a better future for our country.
Our country can indeed become the charm of our region.
We have an actual prospect of that and our enemy knows it very well. That is why it is doing its best to destabilize the situation before we perpetuate peace.
No one will get on our way!
Every figure demonstrates that the investment climate, development and its speed in Georgia is much higher than in many countries of the region.
We should carry on like this.
I would like to welcome such a great construction.
I also welcome the architect of this project.
We are making the presentation of “Trump Tower” in Batumi in few days, yet its construction will take more time.
It is very important what you do not only in Kakheti, but also in Batumi.
There is a great construction to be launched in Tskaltubo this year. The “Silk Road Group” is not represented there currently, but hopefully it will take part in the developments of this resort as well.
I believe that Tskaltubo will become a resort of unbelievable scale.
The majority of Georgians do not even remember where this place is located.
I invite you all to Tskaltubo this summer, so that you will see the beginning of its development this year, while in one year – the first stage of the completed work.
I invite you all to Tskaltubo in September as in fall this year; Telavi will be what no one could ever imagine even in their most bold dreams.
Let us start construction with this very pleasant mood.
Thank you!