Georgia’s economy demonstrated steady growth across two key sectors in the first half of 2026 — foreign trade and tourism. According to the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat), trade turnover with Russia exceeded $1.5 billion between January and June, marking an 18.9% increase compared to the same period last year. At the same time, revenues from international tourism continued to rise. Visitors from Azerbaijan alone contributed $107.6 million to Georgia’s economy, up 4.9% year-on-year, while total tourism revenues reached $1.93 billion during the first six months of the year.

Russia remains one of Georgia’s largest trading partners despite ongoing political differences between the two countries. The continued expansion of bilateral trade reflects the high degree of economic interdependence that has developed in recent years. Georgian exports to Russia continue to consist primarily of wine, mineral water, ferroalloys, fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products, while Russia’s main exports to Georgia include petroleum products, natural gas, grain, metals, and industrial raw materials.

At the same time, tourism remains one of the main drivers of Georgia’s economic growth. Azerbaijan continues to rank among the country's largest sources of inbound visitors, alongside Turkiye, Russia, and Armenia. The increase in revenues generated by Azerbaijani tourists is attributed not only to higher visitor numbers but also to increased average spending per traveler. Well-developed transport links, a visa-free travel regime, and close economic ties between the two neighboring countries continue to support this positive trend.

The Georgian government expects the positive momentum to continue during the second half of the year, driven by the peak summer tourism season, expanding air connectivity, and increasing visitor flows from neighboring countries and the Middle East. The country's National Tourism Administration has previously noted that, following a record-breaking 2025, Georgia is continuing to diversify its inbound tourism market by attracting more visitors from the European Union, the Gulf states, and Central Asia, thereby reducing its reliance on individual source markets.

According to analysts, the latest economic indicators highlight a dual trend in Georgia’s economic development. On the one hand, expanding trade with Russia provides additional support to exports, logistics, and domestic economic activity. On the other hand, Tbilisi continues to pursue closer economic cooperation with the European Union, the countries of the South Caucasus, and Central Asia in an effort to reduce the risks associated with excessive dependence on a single external partner. Against this backdrop, the combination of expanding foreign trade, resilient tourism, and Georgia’s strategic role as a regional transit hub continues to underpin the country’s strong economic performance despite persistent geopolitical tensions in the wider region.

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#RUSSIA

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20.07.2026 03:29