As of September 11, Chinese citizens can enter the South Caucasus nation without visas, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Monday.
The primary objectives behind this decision are to entice tourists and facilitate reciprocal economic investments, VisaGuide.World reports.
In this regard, Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili said Chinese citizens will be able to stay in Georgia for up to 30 days without a visa.
According to Garibashvili, tourism contributed $3.5 billion in direct revenue to the state budget last year and expressed optimism for even higher income in 2023. He also highlighted his team’s efforts to attract more visitors from markets in development.
China is the second-largest economy in the world. One of our main interests is to strengthen trade and economic relations with China, attract more investments from China, and attract more tourists.
As he explains, nations worldwide consider travelers from China highly sought after, and he emphasized the government’s desire to encourage the launch of more direct flights to and from China.
As local media reports, during Prime Minister Gharibashvili’s visit to China in late July, Tbilisi and Beijing made a joint announcement to elevate their bilateral relations to the status of a strategic partnership. This development in Georgia’s foreign policy coincides with escalating tensions with the United States and the European Union due to Georgia’s ambiguous stance toward Russia, which remains actively engaged in its scaled-up invasion of Ukraine since its launch in February 2022.
In May this year, Russia restored visa-free travel for Georgian citizens and ended the 2019 restriction on direct flights between the two nations. As a result, the Ministry of Transport in Russia has confirmed that the Moscow-Tbilisi routes will now have seven weekly flights operated by Russian airlines.
Based on the VisaGuide Passport Index, as of September of this year, the Georgian passport is ranked 78th in the world. This ranking allows Georgian citizens to enjoy visa-free travel to 83 countries around the world. However, Georgian passport holders must apply for a visa in advance for entry to the remaining countries.
In addition, implementing the electronic visa system in Georgia has simplified the application process for individuals planning short-term visits. This system eliminates the requirement for qualified applicants to deliver original documents to the embassy or consulate physically.
The Georgia e-Visa is available for a variety of purposes, including tourism, business, visiting friends and family, short-term study or training lasting under 90 days.