COVID-19 IMPACT ON THE GEORGIAN TOURISM SECTOR

The coronavirus has caused an economic crisis not only directly in the tourism sector, but also in areas directly and indirectly related to it. Capital turnover decreased from 2089.1 million to 690.1 million compared to the previous 2019. In February 2020 alone, the number of international tourists decreased by 0.7% compared to the same period last year. The decrease in tourists was reflected in the restaurant business, the turnover of shopping facilities, etc. Compared to 2019, the number of employees in hotels and restaurants alone has decreased by more than 18 thousand people. A significant decrease was also observed in the Imereti region. Corona virus COVID-19 poses a significant threat to both the global and regional economies. Today, the negative impact of the pandemic on the world economy has become irreversible. It is impossible to make an accurate forecast in today's rapidly changing environment. The first case of kovidivirus in Georgia was detected on February 26, 2020, and already in March the visible effects of the pandemic began to be detected:  Increased demands on products;  The inevitable rise in unemployment;  Reduction of international remittances;  A sharp decrease in the flow of foreign tourists, etc. Recently, tourism has become one of the leading sectors of our country's economy, accounting for 11% of Georgia's GDP. The number of visitors in 2019 exceeded 9.3 million, which was 7.8% more than in the previous 2018, the increase was visible every year. With this in mind, the number of visitors was expected to increase to 10 million by 2020. The American travel magazine "Thrillist" describes the 13 best countries, where it advises American citizens to live, in which it names Georgia among the popular tourist countries. The journalist of the publication recommends using the project "Work from Georgia" to come to Georgia. The Georgian government has eased visa requirements for participants in the project, and with the new "Work from Georgia" program, foreigners can work remotely from Georgia and spend a full year in the country, earning at least $ 2,000 a month. - The author of the article writes and notes that Georgia attracts travelers to the Caucasus Mountains, Georgian cuisine, wine and affordable prices (nationalgeographic, 2020). According to the National Tourism Administration, up to 1,100 citizens from different countries were registered within the framework of the project "Work from Georgia" from August 27 to October 25. Hopefully, more travelers will be interested in this project, they will come to Georgia, including the Imereti region, which will at least partially improve the economic situation in the country's tourism sector.