DOI:  10.36172/EKONOMISTI.2020.XVI.03.KVARATSKHELIA.KIKILASHVILI

Expanded Summary

Tourism is one of the most dynamic, relevant, and rapidly evolving sectors of the modern world economy. Tourism has a special place in the economies of many countries, in terms of revenue growth and job creation. The development of tourism also has a significant positive impact on other sectors of the economy, such as transport, industry, agriculture. The development of tourism itself is influenced by geographical, natural, historical, religious, cultural, political, social, demographic, economic factors. The standard of living of the population, the social and economic environment, the length of free time, the quality of cultural needs and the desire to meet them, political stability, regional development, the level of infrastructure, etc. are of great importance for the development of tourism in the country. Tourism is generally seen as a tool for assessing the socio-economic development of  the country and a region.

Today, when due to the pandemic, tourism is restricted around the world, including in Georgia, the tourism industry is almost paralyzed. The article offers some interesting and innovative approaches. First of all, there should be a sharp differentiation of tourism in the country; Identify and develop various sub-directions of agritourism, create an appropriate, updated legal framework in the field of agritourism; Categorize agrarian tourism facilities (guest houses, food facilities, etc.); To regulate the regional infrastructure; Travel companies to highlight the potential of ecotourism, rural tourism, agritourism in Georgia and to present agrarian-tourism resources in various types of tours; Create a platform, application, for online delivery of online tours, online masterclasses, online certificate-training courses. The information released within the platform should be processed with highly impressive, content-rich, and high-tech quality materials to attract the attention of potential tourists. The aim of the online courses is to attract potential tourists to Georgia as soon as the situation improves, to actually view the unique footage seen online, to personally engage in master classes of traditional dishes, traditional Georgian handicrafts, polyphonic folk songs or Georgian dances, which aroused amazing emotion. The aim of the online certificate courses is to provide relevant knowledge and interesting information about agrarian tourism to anyone interested, both at the theoretical and world experience level, on the example of agro-farms in the regions of Georgia, with the direct involvement of agro-farmers. After the possibility of tourists, movement is restored, the people registered for the courses arrive in Georgia, get acquainted with the places already visited, personally visit the agro-farmers, personally participate in the processes presented in the masterclasses, pass the certification exam prepared by the training team, An international level certificate.

Conducting online certification courses requires modern technologies, professional translators, guides, and other specialists. Of course, the activity of the population of the region, the involvement of agro-farmers is important. Numerous foreign potential tourists, through the Internet, with the help of a special application and platform, will take the offered course, get acquainted with Georgia, its regions, villages, modern lifestyle, traditions, eco-environment, agricultural technologies, biologically clean technologies, biologically clean Georgian products. Useful properties. Get acquainted with Georgian gastronomy, cuisine, and hospitality. All this really pushes him to visit Georgia, to get acquainted with the places and subjects of interest to him, to get involved in emotionally rich, unique processes, and to get unique impressions. 

Key words: Tourism, Agrotourism, Innovation in tourism, Online tours, Online masterclasses.