On July 8, 2019, Russia banned direct flights to and from the country of Georgia. Russia has instituted the ban in retaliation for protests in Tbilisi last month in response to a speech by Sergei Gavrilov, a Russian legislator, in Georgia’s Parliament. This adds to tensions that have persisted since the end of the Cold War and which escalated during the 2008 war between the two countries. As a result of that war, Russia has since occupied roughly 20% of Georgia’s territory, including the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and supported their claim as independent countries.
The ban is projected to harm Georgia’s tourism industry, which accounts for roughly a third of GDP, as each year the country receives more than 1 million Russian tourists. A reduction in Russian tourism may decrease Georgia’s revenues from tourism of $3.5 billion by as much as $141 million. The magnitude of the cost will be determined by the longevity of the ban. In the meantime, Russian tourists aiming to visit and experience Georgian landscapes and fine wines will need to take indirect flights through a third country before arriving at their destination in Georgia.
