How Much Does One Visit Cost? – Spending Structure of Outbound Tourism and Its Impact on Georgia’s Domestic Market

In the first quarter of 2025, Georgian residents made 482,000 outbound visits. Even more telling than the volume is how much they spent per trip: the average amount per visit reached 999 GEL (Sakstat). This figure reflects short trips, typically lasting 2 to 3 days and often made to nearby countries. That level of spending indicates purposeful and concentrated consumption, especially considering that a large share of these visits are shopping-focused.

In total, Georgian travelers spent over 481 million GEL abroad during the same period (Sakstat). Nearly half of this — 207 million GEL — was spent on shopping. Food and beverages accounted for 124 million GEL, accommodation for 58 million, and local transportation for 54 million. Other categories, such as entertainment and cultural activities, made up a relatively small share. The structure of spending suggests that most trips were not driven by leisure or cultural exploration, but by targeted needs.

While this kind of tourism does not directly support Georgia’s domestic tourism industry, it still creates economic opportunities for specific groups. Travel agencies, transportation providers, and individuals engaged in small-scale imports benefit from outbound tourism. Shopping trips are often accompanied by micro-import activity, supplying Georgia’s domestic market with more affordable goods, particularly in clothing, electronics, and household products.

Outbound tourism also influences the behavior of local suppliers. The effect is not always negative — in sectors where businesses respond to this external competition by adjusting prices or improving services, they have a better chance of retaining customers. For example, if a two-day holiday in Batumi with meals and entertainment costs the same as a two-day shopping trip to Istanbul, the customer’s decision will no longer be based purely on price, but on the overall experience. However, where such adaptation does not occur, the consumer walks — literally — across the border.

Outbound tourism does not fundamentally shift Georgia’s economic balance, but it clearly highlights where the local market fails to meet demand. The spending patterns, trip durations, and motivations revealed in this data should serve not only as descriptive statistics, but as signals for policymakers to identify which sectors require faster response and structural change.