New holiday hotspot bordering Russia UK tourists say is 'charming'

A developing tourism nation is making a play for UK tourists as parts of Western Europe fear over-tourism. BirminghamLive has previously reported on protests against over-tourism in hotspots like Majorca and the Canary Islands.

Georgia, which borders Turkey, Russia and Azerbaijan by the Black Sea, has big plans to encourage everyone from disabled visitors and independent travellers to cruise tourists. It has outlined a 10-year development plan aiming to get more people into its hotels.

It has an array of holiday destinations, including Batumi, with a vast port, capital city Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Mestia. Its development plan takes in everything from developing international signage so tourists can navigate the country solo, to improving accessibility, public transport and cruise ship ports as it opens up.

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Natalie Fordham, a Georgia specialist at tour operator Wild Frontiers said while tourism was fairly new in Georgia, they were taking it seriously. She said: "It offers a relatively new career path and we see really fantastic guides as a result.

"They're super excited to be part of it, they speak great English and learn how to adapt to different people, and many of our travellers make friends with them and want to go back."

While it shares a border with Russia, the Foreign Office does not warn against travel to the touristic parts of Georgia. However, for security reasons, the FCDO advises against all travel to the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The Foreign Office advice reads: "FCDO also advises against all but essential travel to areas immediately next to the administrative boundary lines with South Ossetia and Abkhazia."

However, Ms Fordham said Tbilisi was her "favourite capital city in the world". She added: "Eith charming cobbled streets, a real aesthetic, old fortress walls, museums and more. Then you've got cave towns, Soviet architecture and history – Stalin was born here – and the northern and southern mountains, Unesco churches and monasteries, and a thriving wine and food scene. There's so much to see, you need a week-long trip at least."

Meanwhile, some UK tourists have pledged to boycott Spain and has warned those who protested against their presence they 'will soon be crying'. Some UK holidaymakers have warned European Union hotspot Tenerife, in particular, that the Canary Islands will be off their vacation list after protests against over-tourism this weekend.

"This is the most bizarre protest ever. Unless they have a watertight plan B for their economies, they better get used to not eating. They're biting the hand that literally feeds them," wrote a GB News reader in response to the protests.