Ivanishvili's Georgia: 5.5 Million Tourists Amidst Political Standoff

Every weekend, crowds gather in Avlabari Square in Tbilisi’s Armenian quarter to march toward Freedom Square and parliament. The protesters chant against the government of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and his ultraconservative party, Georgian Dream, which has ruled since 2012. On Monday, the country marked the second anniversary of the contested parliamentary elections on 26 October 2024 that sparked this ongoing crisis. Protests intensified after the government announced in November 2024 that it would not prioritize opening EU accession talks before the end of 2028, despite Georgia receiving candidate status in 2023.

The political deadlock coexists with an economic boom. According to the Georgian National Tourism Administration, the country recorded more than 5.5 million international tourist visits in 2025. That figure represents an 8.4% increase over 2024 and stands at nearly ten times the approximately 560,000 visitors from two decades ago. Travelers arrive from across Europe, the Middle East, and Russia, drawn to historic sites, post-Soviet urban landscapes, and unspoilt natural regions. This surge in tourism coincides with a GDP growth rate of 7.5% in 2025, marking five consecutive years of economic expansion.

A large influx of Russian visitors and residents has complicated the local dynamic. Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, tens of thousands of Russian citizens relocated to Georgia, injecting capital into the economy and opening businesses. However, their presence has intensified pressure on the property market as they purchase homes across the country. This trend fuels discontent among Georgians who view Russia as an occupying power, a sentiment rooted in the early 1990s wars and the 2008 conflict in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The economic relationship with Moscow remains a central contradiction. Although diplomatic ties were severed after 2008, trade, tourism, remittances, and energy imports from Russia continue to prop up the national economy. Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire founder of Georgian Dream and former prime minister who made his fortune in Russia during the 1990s, remains a key figure in this landscape. His party controls the state, yet the government faces criticism from the EU over rule of law and political repression.

Georgia, a republic smaller than Ireland with a population under 4 million, sits between Russia and Turkey. Its economy shows resilience through growth figures, but structural issues persist, including unemployment, low wages, and widespread poverty in rural areas. The domestic political stalemate now intersects with wider geopolitical shifts, particularly as the war in Ukraine continues to shape the balance of power in the Caucasus. The outcome of that conflict may determine the leverage Moscow holds over Tbilisi in the coming years.