The Average Length of Stay for Tourists in Georgia Is Increasing – Why Does It Matter?

In the first quarter of 2025, foreign visitors spent an average of 5.5 nights in Georgia — a slight 0.8% increase compared to the same period last year (source: Geostat). At first glance, this change may seem minimal, but in reality, it can have a significant impact on the overall economic effect of tourism.

When a tourist stays for just one or two nights, their spending is typically limited to basic needs — transport, food, and maybe a few small purchases. But when the stay becomes longer, the tourist becomes more “valuable” for the economy — they start engaging with a broader range of services: attending cultural events, visiting entertainment venues, taking guided tours, and exploring regions outside the capital.

This is where local businesses come into play — family-owned hotels, transport operators, souvenir producers, small cafes and bars all benefit more from longer-staying visitors.

The longer a tourist stays, the more money they spend. In Q1 2025, the average expenditure per visit reached 1,998 GEL — a 6.9% increase compared to the previous year. Spending was especially high on food, accommodation, and shopping, which are sectors with strong local participation.

A longer stay also signals a different type of tourist. A person staying for five or six nights is likely to plan in advance, search for quality services, use travel guides or online platforms — and this behavior contributes to better service delivery and a more diversified income stream across the tourism value chain.

But the question remains: why do most tourists stay for only a few days instead of one or two full weeks? One reason may be the limited diversity of tourism offerings within the country — the majority of visits are still concentrated in Tbilisi and the Adjara region. Other regions such as Imereti, Kakheti, and Samtskhe-Javakheti have yet to fully develop their tourism infrastructure and experiences.

If we think of a tourist’s time spent in Georgia not just as a number of nights, but as an economic opportunity, each additional day means additional spending — which in turn creates jobs, boosts local incomes, and increases tourism’s contribution to the national economy.

These figures may serve as a signal that even small improvements — for example, raising the average stay from 5.5 to 6 nights — could become a meaningful driver for growth across the tourism sector.