World gaming and hospitality investors confirmed for Georgian Congress

Delegates from a total of 21 countries including Macau, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Estonia, Slovenia, India and the USA will be at the Congress, being hosted by the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara and organised by GB Media, publishers of International Casino Review. The first Casino Investors Congress is targeted at investors wishing to be part of the hospitality, leisure and gambling revolution, which is transforming the resort and has made it so popular with tourists from countries throughout the region.

The official government nature of the Congress means that delegates will be given unparalleled access to leading government figures and key decision-makers. Joining Levan Varshalomidze, Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara, will be Dimitri Gvindadze, the Georgian Minister of Finance, Keti Bochorishvili, head of the National Investment Agency, David Kikava, head of the Ajaran Department of Tourism and Resorts, and Georgian Chamber of Commerce & Industry director, and former national Minister of Finance, Kakha Baindurashvili.

The distinguished line-up will provide their unique insight into a wide range of topics, including the government’s overall short- and long-term vision for Batumi, Ajara and Georgia, the current and future framework of gambling legislation and regulation, the development of tourism in Batumi, as well as practical information on how to go about doing business in Georgia. 

John Sullivan, Congress Director said: “I’m delighted at the response that we’ve had from so many of the industry’s leading players. This is a C-Level business Congress at which delegates will have unparalleled access to the politicians and the government figures who are deciding the future of gaming and tourism in this part of the world.  It is a unique opportunity to be able to discuss and help shape the future of gaming in Batumi and for any serious investor or supplier of casino equipment and services, one not to be missed.” 

The gambling and leisure sector is central to the transformation of Batumi, which, to quote Time Magazine, is ‘developing at a speed that would make China blush.’ With gambling prohibited in neighbouring countries, Batumi has implemented an approach which has given it a number of advantages in comparison to other Georgian cities. A Batumi casino licence is us$ 150,000 compared to us$ 3 million in other regions of Georgia. Furthermore, operators building hotels with a minimum 100 rooms, are able to acquire a casino licence free of charge for the first 10-years of operation.

This legislation, and the subsequent increase in casino developments, has led to a substantial growth in foreign visitors to the area, reaching 900,000 (45% of total visitors), from 100,000 (33%) in 2009. Neighbouring countries including Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey account for 78% of foreign tourists, while Europe, Asia and the US account for 14%, and Russia 8%. Russian visitors are expected to increase over the coming months since the Russian Federation became the 99th nation not to require a visa to visit the country, following Georgia’s unilateral decision to abolish the visa regime with its neighbour in March this year.

Georgia’s Department of Tourism and Resorts predicts the gaming industry will stimulate winter tourism in the region. A 4-year development plan has resulted in the construction of a magnificent 5-mile long esplanade complete with pavilions, restaurants, bandstands and dancing fountains, as well as the development of a number of five-star hotels including the Sheraton, Radisson and Hilton. 43% of total investments in the city to-date have been targeted at the broadly based tourism sector.