Adjara (Georgia) is interested in developing the year-round air services with Ukraine, hopes for the increase in tourist flow to new resorts of the region, Minister of Finance and Economy of Adjara Jaba Putkaradze has told Interfax-Ukraine.

"Tourism is one of the main sectors of the economy that is developing in Adjara. In 2018, we had about 2 million foreign visitors, which is 16% more than a year earlier. Over the past four or five years, we have a trend of stable growth of visitors by 15-20% on average annually," he said.

Commenting on the prospects for the resumption of year-round air services between Ukraine and Batumi, Putkaradze said that the government of Adjara "is trying to use all the possibilities to make Batumi a year-round destination."

According to him, in particular, Ajaria has identified 16 priority countries, including Ukraine, where the government of Ajaria actively conducts marketing activities and popularizes mass tourism.

At the same time, according to the minister, Adjara seeks to diversify the main directions of tourism development and develop projects that can attract not only mass tourists, but also create a unique tourist product that will attract more solvent tourists.

"Until now, we have developed mass tourism, received a steady increase in the number of visitors. But we are coming to the idea that, besides mass tourism, we need to diversify. We want more solvent tourists to come to Adjara," he said.

The minister also announced plans for Ajara to expand "the season and geography of tourism so that tourists come not only in the summer to three or four well-known places." In particular, sports tourism, ecotourism, corporate, business tourism are being actively developed.

"Of these four areas, sports tourism has the highest potential when sports teams and athletes come to Adjara to training camps for intensive training for two or three weeks," the minister said.

Putkaradze drew attention to the fact that currently in the republic tourism is also developing, associated with rehabilitation and rehabilitation – wellness and SPA.

Putkaradze also said that Ajaria intends to form a package offer for foreign tourists, combining sea and mountain vacations with recreational procedures.

According to him, a project for the construction of the Goderdzi resort is currently being implemented in Adjara, where about 20 investment projects for the construction of recreational facilities will be implemented on an area of 200 hectares.

Commenting on the importance of the relations of Adjara with Ukraine, Putkaradze said: "Ukraine is one of the most important strategic partners of Georgia."

"We are trying to develop cooperation. There are already Ukrainian investors who are very actively building in Goderdzi, owning several land parcels, and implementing projects there," he said.