In recent years, international travel has become more accessible for the people of Georgia. The emergence of low-cost airlines, the development of online booking platforms, and other technological services have significantly simplified the travel process. Borders that once posed serious barriers are increasingly dissolving, giving Georgian citizens more opportunities to visit different countries around the world.

Against this backdrop, an online survey conducted by ACT Research provides a detailed analysis of Georgians’ travel habits — including frequency of trips, the most popular destinations, planning styles, and the factors that determine final choices.

Popular Destinations

The study shows that over the past year, 45% of survey participants — social media users — traveled abroad. The most popular destination was Turkey, visited by 34% of respondents within the last year. Italy ranked second (22%), while Germany came third (19%).

Other European countries also made it into the top ten: Greece, Czechia, Poland, Hungary, France, Austria, and Denmark. Between 9–12% of those surveyed had visited each of these countries in the past 12 months. This trend clearly highlights Europe’s strong appeal for Georgian travelers.

Among social media users who traveled, 39% left the country once during the past year. About a quarter (24%) traveled twice, while 36% had the experience of three or more trips within the last 12 months.

How Do Georgians Plan Their Travels?

The majority of respondents plan their trips abroad independently. Only 18% have experience using the services of travel agencies. Interestingly, there is a noticeable gender difference in this regard — women (27%) are more likely to use travel agencies than men (3%).

Among the sources of information that help Georgian travelers choose destinations and learn about prices for international trips, personal advice takes the lead — 42% of respondents trust most in the experiences of friends and family. Also included in the top five are the internet (27%) and social networks (23%) , travel agency websites and advertisements (18%), as well as a relatively new but growing resource — artificial intelligence (11%).

Other sources, such as bloggers, YouTube videos, or airline applications, are used less frequently. This trend confirms that despite the growth of digital platforms, personal recommendations remain a decisive factor in making the final decision.

Travel Goals

The research results show that the most common purposes of the last trip abroad were a tourist visit/sightseeing (49%) and leisure/vacation (43%). People also traveled abroad for shopping (19%) and business visits (15%).

These findings suggest that for Georgians, international travel is primarily a way to relax and gain new experiences, though in some cases it also serves practical or business purposes.

Travel Habits

During their last trip, the majority of respondents chose Kutaisi Airport for international flights (62%). The share of Tbilisi Airport was lower, accounting for 38%.

36% of respondents most often travel with friends, 21% with family members, while solo trips make up 18%. These data indicate that in the travel experience of respondents, group or collective travel is more common than individual trips.

Future Travel Plans and Priority Destinations

According to the research results, 40% of social media users plan to travel abroad within the next six months, 33% are not considering such a possibility at this stage, and 27% have not yet made a decision. A gender analysis shows that among women, the level of travel consideration is 10% higher than among men.

Among those planning trips, the top five desired destinations are:

• Italy — 24%
• Turkey — 18%
• France — 13%
• Greece — 11%
• Spain — 10%

These data highlight that European destinations continue to dominate the travel interests of Georgians.

Most Desired Travel Destinations

Interesting preferences can be highlighted regarding the most desired travel destinations.

Italy is the undisputed leader — for 37% of respondents, this country is the most attractive place to visit. Notably, Italy is a more desired destination for women (43%) than for men (29%). Following Italy are France (25%) and Spain (18%). The top five also include Japan (11%) and Germany (10%).

It is worth noting that the list includes both European and non-European destinations, reflecting the diversity of respondents’ interests from both cultural and geographical perspectives.

Criteria for Choosing a Country and Preferred Types of Tourism

According to the research, when choosing a country for a trip, respondents primarily consider cultural attractions and historical monuments (44%). Other important factors include affordable prices (27%), opportunities for rest and entertainment (23%), and the ability to travel without a visa (23%).

The factors influencing trip planning vary by gender. In particular:

• Cultural attractions are more important for women (55%) than for men (30%).
• Opportunities for rest and entertainment are valued more by men (31%), whereas among women this figure is 17%.

Among the preferred types of travel, the top two are cultural tourism (59%) and resort tourism (51%).

Gender analysis shows that differences are especially noticeable in cultural and adventure tourism:

• Cultural tourism is more popular among women (72%) than among men (45%).
• Interest in adventure tourism is almost twice as high among men (14%) as among women (7%).

The research results show that the travel preferences of social media users primarily cover European destinations. When choosing a country for a trip, respondents primarily focus on cultural attractions, affordable prices, and comfortable conditions. The main purposes of travel are relaxation and exploring cultural heritage. This indicates that their travel habits combine both the desire to unwind and rest, as well as the interest in gaining new knowledge and experiences. Thus, there is a balance between practical factors and more creative, imaginative interests, making travel choices even more diverse.

The online survey on travel in Georgia was conducted from June 5 to July 18, 2025. A total of 351 social media users participated in the study. The statistical margin of error for the data does not exceed 5% on average.

This study was conducted at the initiative of the company “ACT Research” (ACTR) within the framework of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, under the rubric “The Voice of the Customer.”

ACTR’s CSR policy is based on an approach focused on public well-being and the generation of timely, evidence-based data to better understand societal issues. To this end, ACTR periodically conducts public opinion research in four main areas:

“Voice of Society” – studying social and civic attitudes;
“Voice of the Consumer” – analysis of consumer behavior and needs;
“Voice of Business” – research on private sector trends and expectations;
“Digital Trends” – monitoring technological and digital changes.

The goal of the initiative is to improve access to data and promote informed, public interest–based decision-making in both the private and public sectors.

ACTR ensures data transparency and accessibility – as one of the key mechanisms for creating public value.