On 25 September ReforMeter, the USAID Economic Governance Program, and the Georgian Tourism Industry Alliance jointly hosted a public-private dialogue to discuss the progress of tourism reform with local stakeholders in Kutaisi, Georgia.

The meeting included an assessment of the reform progress and a review of the proposed amendments within the draft law on tourism. The objective of the reform is to enhance coordination at the national and regional levels, diversify tourism services, ensure high-quality services, and develop a standard for protecting consumer rights and safety.

The public-private dialogue was launched with opening speeches from Giorgi Papava, Lead Economist of the ISET Policy Institute and “ReforMeter” Project Manager, Levan Kiknavelidze, Deputy State Representative of Imereti, Paata Liluashvili, Deputy Chairman of the Kutaisi City Council, Medea Janiashvili, Deputy Head of the National Tourism Administration of Georgia, Tamila Shabashvili, Chief of Staff of the Sectoral Economy and Economic Policy Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, and Nino Chokheli, Deputy Chief of Party of the USAID Economic Governance Program.

After the opening speeches, Tamuna Tandashvili, Co-founder of the Georgian Tourism Industry Alliance (GTIA), provided an overview of the GTIA’s activities, their role in the development of the draft law, and the key directions of the proposed changes. The ReforMeter team delivered a presentation summarizing the results of the initial round of assessments of tourism reform. The executive director and representatives from DMO Imereti discussed their organization's purpose, objectives, and initiatives.

The meeting was attended by representatives from state institutions involved in the development and implementation of the reform, associations working within the tourism sector, as well as local representatives from the civil and private sectors. Participants discussed the expected results of planned changes within the framework of the reform, all in the format of a public-private dialogue.