Abkhazian tour guides don't want to allow Russian colleagues on their territory
Abkhazian guides oppose Russian entry
Abkhazia’s government prepares agreement allowing Russian guides amid local opposition. Abkhazian tour guides strongly oppose a government initiative to permit Russian guides in the local tourism industry, fearing potential job losses.
According to information circulating on Abkhazian Telegram channels, president Aslan Bzhania negotiated with Russian government representatives during his visit to St. Petersburg for an international economic forum. They agreed that Abkhazia will soon lift the existing ban on Russian guides conducting tours.
Local tour firms are deeply concerned about this prospect, believing they cannot compete with Russian companies. In response, they have formed a special task force to resist this government initiative. Within the first day, the task force attracted over a thousand workers from the tourism sector.
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The specific nature of Abkhazia’s tourism industry is that most visitors are day-trippers from the nearby Russian resort of Sochi. These “one-day tourists” come to Abkhazia for a brief visit to see local attractions. In 2023 alone, Abkhazia welcomed 1.2 million such tourists.
Every morning, several hundred tour buses leave Sochi and head to the Russian-Abkhazian border, where they are met by representatives of Abkhazian tour companies. Local guides then take the tourists on various tours, ranging from well-known Soviet-era sites like Lake Ritsa and the New Athos Cave to newer attractions such as the Inguri Dam.
Abkhazia is very popular among Russian tourists, making the tour guide profession the most sought-after in the region.
Tour guides earn relatively high wages by local standards, with more than 700 people engaged in this profession year-round (out of a population of about 250,000). During the peak tourist season in summer, the number of guides doubles as teachers take on this work during school holidays.
None of these people are keen on allowing Russian colleagues onto their territory.
“Russian tour organizations will enter the market with their own guides and vehicles. This influx will displace local specialists working in small and medium-sized businesses,” stated Abkhazian tour companies in a joint declaration.
According to their estimates, if the ban on Russian tour activities is lifted, 13% of Abkhazia’s population will be left without a means of livelihood.
Abkhazian guides oppose Russian entry
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