Visit Georgia’s message is that the sea, mountains, resorts, and culture are in one place. We’ve got you covered. Georgia will remain an attractive country for Russian visitors. What may be gone is Georgia’s focus for its tourism industry to integrate its affiliation as a possible member of the European Union.
The UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili from Georgia only won the election in 2017 due to the support of the European Union. Foreign politics allowed him to lead world tourism for two terms already. Massive corruption and unexplained flaws in the election process were elegantly overlooked. He was re-elected for a second term at the heights of COVID-19, also with the help of European delegates mandated by their foreign ministry to vote for him.
Georgian Dream, the ruling political party in George, has been in power since 2012. Over the past two years, it has veered towards pro-Russian rhetoric, which has sparked criticism from its Western allies due to what they perceive as a growing authoritarian inclination.
The Dream Party opposition, the United National Movement opposition, is now pro-Western and has accused the election commission of fraud in the country’s recent elections.
The country’s opposition losing the election, considering the shift this party put in place over the last two years, UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili’s desire to rule World Tourism for a third term may be impossible.
His changing of UN rules and bringing key events to Georgia to get an advantage over changing UN tourism regulations may not be enough for him to win a third term. His changing the rules and trying to be confirmed for a third term without an election has already raised many eyebrows. His attitude goes along with the authoritarian nature of the current Georgia government.
His party’s shift away from Europe’s principles means there is little reason for EU countries to continue supporting Zurab for a third term. This third term could now perceived as a threat not only to world tourism politics but also to foreign relations seen from a Western perspective.
The pro-Western factions in Georgia have refused to accept the result of the crucial election, in which the governing party with increasingly authoritarian tendencies emerged as the winner. The election revolved around determining the country’s future direction in Europe.
According to the central election commission, the Georgian Dream party, led by billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili, has emerged as the clear winner again with 54% of the total votes, as over 99% of the districts counted.
Monitoring missions from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the International Republican Institute (IRI), and a Georgian election monitor have all documented worrisome irregularities during the Saturday election. They include ballot manipulation, corrupt practices, voter coercion, and incidents of violence close to polling stations.
Human Rights Watch has been busy watching Georgia shift to a totalitarian republic.
Approximately 1.5 million Russian individuals have crossed the Russia-Georgia border following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Numerous individuals fled the 2022 Russian mobilization, and while the exact number of Russians who have remained in Georgia is unknown, their presence is noticeable, leading to concern among many Georgians.
The European Union granted Georgia candidate status on December 14, 2023, recognizing the country’s continuous efforts towards EU integration. The European Council announced this decision alongside the commencement of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, members of the Eastern Partnership.
Georgia submitted its application for EU membership in March 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but was initially denied candidate status in June 2022.
The council provided Georgia with 12 priorities to address before reconsidering its candidacy. Despite limited progress on these recommendations, the EU’s decision reflects its ongoing dedication to fostering diplomatic relations with Georgia and supporting the nation’s aspiration for EU integration. This helped Zurab in his UN-Tourism election efforts, with European candidates overlooking irregularities and possible fraud.
Leaders of the opposition, the United National Movement, said the elections had been falsified and the vote “stolen from the Georgian people.”
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