Guria, Georgia – In May, the member facilities of the "Tea Rout Association" successfully hosted 470 guests, with 75% being international tourists and 25% local visitors. This achievement highlights the ongoing efforts to boost tourism and support small and medium-sized businesses in the region.
In 2023, the association's hospitality facilities welcomed 3,800 guests, showcasing a significant increase in visitor engagement and interest in Guria's unique tea culture. This initiative is a vital component of the Bakhvi HPP Company's social program, aimed at promoting the growth of tourism and the economic development of small businesses.
The "Tea Rout Association" project serves multiple purposes. It seeks to establish the Gurli tea brand while empowering small and medium-sized tea producers. By enhancing their business acumen and leveraging their tea production capabilities, these businesses can attract tourists and diversify their income streams, thereby increasing public awareness and appreciation of Gurli tea.
For the past three years, Bakhvi HPP has been collaborating with the "Tea Rout Association" to create a standardized quality brand for Guria's small tea producers. This partnership has strengthened local businesses and made their activities more visible and accessible. Through the project, tea producers have established tasting rooms and entertainment options for guests, generating additional revenue streams. "We have been working on this project for three years, and we can now see the tangible effects of our efforts," said Giorgi Abramishvili, Director of Bakhvi HPP. "Tea producers have enhanced their visibility and accessibility to the public, organized tasting rooms, and begun entertaining guests, which has become an additional income source. they also offer tourists the opportunity to experience tea-making first-hand, which adds a memorable element to their visit. The project emphasizes experiential tourism, where visitors can engage in tea processing and tasting, creating lasting memories. The initiative also aims to popularize tea culture and strengthen the association between Guria and tea, thereby raising awareness of Georgian tea. In addition to hosting tourists, the "Tea Rout Association" actively participates in various exhibitions and sales events throughout the year, providing additional platforms for product sales. The association organizes lectures, seminars, and field trips, facilitating knowledge exchange among entrepreneurs from different regions, which has proven highly beneficial. The support of USAID's Economic Security Program is crucial to the success of this initiative. Together with Bakhvi HPP, they subsidize the "Tea Rout Association," ensuring that the benefits are tangible and visible".
Organized by the "Tea Route Association," the traditional Georgian Tea Festival was held for the fifth time this year in Musicians Park, Shekvetili. The festival featured more than 60 small and medium-sized businesses from various regions of Georgia, including Guria, Samegrelo, Adjara, and Racha-Lechkhumi. Additionally, about 30 tea producers participated. Among the participants were members of the "Tea Route Association," who showcased natural products such as tea, honey, wine, churchkhela, and dried fruits to festival visitors. The festival had an interactive character, with opportunities for attendees to participate in tea-making masterclasses, and performances by local choreographic and folklore ensembles, as well as various entertainment activities for children. The festival attracted numerous tourists. Among the official attendees were Giorgi Urushadze, State Representative in Guria, his deputy Zaza Shoshitaishvili, and Avtandil Taalakvadze, Mayor of Ozurgeti Municipality. The event concluded with a concert. The "Tea Route Association" is supported by Bakhvi HPP and USAID's Economic Security Program.