Svaneti is experiencing its most colorful season. Tourism is also winding down. As roads close and snow follows, some provinces in Georgia will be almost empty. Tusheti, Khevsureti, for example, are two of the most affected. Some provinces, like Svaneti and Racha, will remain open for most of the winter. Other towns, such as Bakuriani, Gudauri, and Adjara will have their main season with winter sports. It is convenient for me to think about tourism shifts with the seasonal changes.
Winter will be a time when most Svaneti villages lose their tourists. Etseri, our village, is one of them. This was a major reason for my wife and I to start wintering in Tbilisi in the first place. We kept the shop open at our house and she continued to teach English at a nearby school. However, tourism almost dried up once the snows arrived.
What about those in the hotel industry who do not have the luxury of another apartment in which to retreat in winter? Or those who simply want to increase their competitiveness, in a possible fierce atmosphere with many choices of accommodation? Mestia can be described in this way. How to stand out in any season? Here are my top tips for the best tourism.
– Get English! This is the most important thing to do. After your native Georgian, Russian comes in third. At least one member of your family should be able to translate. The more languages you know, the better. There will be many requests for help and information. It also helps with your advertising. We both stressed the importance of learning languages, and especially the English that we were teaching locally. You don’t want to move to Tbilisi? You’d prefer to stay in your current location and work or raise your family? You will stand out if you have a good grasp of English. If you want to live in the Big City or even abroad, knowing English will help.
Take photos. Video, too. You can use your cellphone camera to show off the uniqueness of YOUR place. YouTube has a wide range of channels that you can use to improve your photography.
Use different media platforms and online. Which of these platforms does my guest house use? AirBnB is one, but there are also Google Maps, Google Business, Google Business Maps, Booking.com and Google Maps. That’s five. Instagram and X/Twitter are also available. I don’t use them, but they are there.
– Get your name in the main guide books, such as Lonely Planet and Bradt (have their writers stay for free when they come through once every few years to update the book). Try to get your name in the major guidebooks, such as Lonely Planet or Bradt. (Their writers can stay for free when updating the book once every few years).
Think: What can I do or have to make my guest house stand out? There are many options; make a list and then choose the best. There are many possibilities. Make a list, then choose the best ones.
– Make sure you have a good relationship with your village, and even “competitors”. When you are full, have someone nearby to direct guests who overflow. Exchange mutual recommendations with other guest houses. This is the principle that you should not be afraid to offer kindness, even if it’s not reciprocated. Sooner or later it will.
– Learn SEO optimization. Say WHAT?! How to improve your facility’s position when someone searches online for a place to stay. It’s important to know, for instance, what keywords you should use to describe the place online. But there’s more to it. You can move up the ranks if you do it well.
– Have an emergency backup system in case of failures such as electricity, water, Internet, etc. You will then be less worried and less panicked when these things occur. It is likely that they will, at some point. If you don’t have a handyman on staff, you can contact someone local to help with repairs and renovations.
– When you can, use local talent. Use local talent when you can.
– Host local films, art and craft exhibitions, or local singing. Know the local events calendar.
These are just a few of the ideas that my wife and I have implemented in our business. I would summarize them as “Compete AND Co-operate”.
BLOG by Tony Hanmer
Tony Hanmer is a writer and photographer who has been working for GT since 2011. He has lived in Georgia and Svaneti, respectively, since 1999. He runs the “Svaneti Renaissance” Facebook group, now with over 2000 members, at www.facebook.com/groups/SvanetiRenaissance/
He and his wife also run their own guest house in Etseri: www.facebook.com/hanmer.house.svaneti
Read More @ georgiatoday.ge