Winter Tourism Development Possibilities in Tusheti

On February 21, 2014, in the village of KvemoOmalo, at the Administration of Tusheti Protected Areas a meeting regarding winter tourism development opportunities in Tusheti was held. The meeting was led by an Austrian professional ski guide and Snow and Avalanche research expert, Peter Schön, who in the beginning of February spent nine days in Tusheti to explore winter tourism development prospects there. The visitor’s service specialist from the Tusheti PA, Giorgi Bakuridze, accompanied the Austrian guide and acquired information about winter tourism potential in the area.

The event was also attended by owners of Tusheti guesthouses, representatives from Akhmeta Municipality, as well as other interested parties. During the meeting, Mr. Schön made a presentation about potential winter trails for Tusheti; he also suggested other potential activities that could be developed in nearby villages in the area. Among those activities, Mr. Schön discussed: ski tours, snow shoeing and hiking. Furthermore, Mr. Schön provided guesthouse owners with information on how to improve the conditions of their houses and adjust them to the winter atmosphere so they would be able to host guests throughout the winter as well. 

The development of winter tourism in Tusheti will positively influence the socio-economic situation of locals and lead towards the establishment of environmentally-friendly, sustainable tourism in the mountains. It should be noted that during the winter months, Tusheti’s road is closed due to heavy snowfall and is completely isolated from the outside world. Therefore, only a few families remain in Tusheti during the winter and the rate of winter migration from the mountains to the lowland increases every year. In the event that Tusheti becomes a tourist destination during the winter months, the local population will have less incentive to leave their homes and will instead continue to host tourists all year round.