SOME OPINIONS ABOUT THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL IMPORTANCE AND RESULTS OF AGRITOURISM (ON THE EXAMPLE OF GEORGIA)

Maia Seturi E-mail: [email protected] Associate Professor, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University Tbilisi, Georgia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0246-678X Abstract: The author's discussion in the article focuses on the importance of agritourism and the main aspects of its positive socio-economic results. Tourism in Georgia is considered one of the important parts of the country's development strategy. Agritourism, as a tourist destination, means serving visitors who are interested in studying agricultural activities, getting to know the features and traditions of rural life. It is true that today Georgia is one of the attractive tourist destinations, but it has the potential to become interesting also in the field of agrotourism. The purpose of the research is to determine what positive results the development of agrotourism can bring for the country and its regions. The author of the article believes that in the post-Covid period, the Georgian tourist and hotel business is working under conditions of increased demand for their services. However, the number of people living in rural areas has significantly decreased in Georgia. Unemployment and low wages are a problem in a number of areas. In such conditions, it is an important issue to raise the awareness of the local population about agritourism in terms of their employment and improvement of their living standards. Based on the results of the research, the author believes that for the development of agritourism, it is necessary to implement a number of changes in rural areas in those regions that have a great potential for the development of agritourism. The importance of agritourism in promoting sustainable development and preserving the cultural and natural heritage of the village is great. This creates a win-win situation where both tourists and local residents benefit from the exchange of knowledge, experience and economic activities. Agritourism stimulates the local economy and will promote the development of small businesses. Especially since there are additional contributing factors for the development of this direction in Georgia (for example, natural environmental factors in the regions, etc.), which will leave an impression on the guests and have a great impact on their satisfaction. And satisfied guests return to places of interest to them in the future and spread positive reviews. According to the author, the effective use of modern marketing approaches and social media marketing will increase the opportunities for the development of agritourism in Georgia. The positive result of which will be that the standard of living of the local population in rural areas will improve significantly. This will help to stop the population migration from rural to urban areas, it will become attractive for many people to live and work in rural areas. Keywords: Agritourism, Agri-entertainment, Tourism and Hospitality Marketing, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Tourism JEL classification: M30, M31, Q13, L83