MOSCOW, May 23. /TASS/. Georgia has become the second most popular destination, after Turkey, among Russian tourists going on vacation or taking weekend trips, Aleksey Volkov, president of the National Union of the Hospitality Industry, told TASS.

"Among overseas destinations, Georgia has become second, after Turkey, in terms of the number of bookings immediately after the opening [i.e. the resumption of direct flights from Russia to Georgia - TASS]," the expert said.

Nevertheless, Georgia will not be able to nudge Turkey off of the top spot among popular foreign destinations because the latter country provides more offers to tourists of diverse levels and degrees of quality, Volkov noted. Furthermore, Turkey is a longstanding popular destination for Russian tourists, whereas at this stage Russian visitors are still just "getting acquainted" with what Georgia has to offer, he said. Among the local attractions in the south Caucasus country are its unique cuisine, mountain excursions and Black Sea beaches, the expert added.

On May 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin waived visa requirements for Georgian citizens effective May 15. The president also cancelled the ban on flights to Georgia by Russian airlines and sales of tour packages to Georgia, which had been in effect since 2019. Russia’s Azimuth and Georgian Airways became the first airlines to introduce direct flights between the two countries.