Official data shows that Georgia’s network of protected areas continue to attract travelers, with a 20% increase in visitors in the first half of 2025. Between January and July, a total of 662,205 people visited national parks, reserves and natural monuments across the country. More than half of them (54%) were foreign nationals, with the largest numbers arriving from Poland, Israel, Russia, India and Belarus.

The Agency of Protected Areas stated that the most visited sites during this period included Prometheus Cave, Martvili Canyon, Sataplia, Tsalka Canyon and Okatse Canyon.

What draws visitors to Georgia’s protected areas?

A visitor satisfaction monitoring survey conducted by the Agency revealed that hiking in nature is the leading motivation for 39% of travelers. Other popular interests include:

• Learning about biodiversity (30%)
• Exploring cultural heritage (11%)
• Recreation (11%)
• Scientific activities (3%)

Hiking routes remain the most popular tour type. In terms of travel groups, half of the visitors explore with friends, 43% travel with family and 7% prefer to go alone.

“These figures confirm that the protected areas attract not only nature and active leisure enthusiasts, but also those interested in cultural heritage and scientific research,” the Agency noted.

Expanding and protecting Georgia’s natural heritage

Georgia currently has 100 protected areas, classified under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories. These include:

• 14 state reserves
• 15 national parks
• 40 natural monuments
• 25 managed reserves
• 5 protected landscapes
• 1 multiple-use area

Together, these areas cover 927,748 hectares, about 13.3% of the country’s territory (as of 2024).

To support tourism and conservation, 17 development projects are underway in 12 different protected areas. These projects focus on rehabilitating hiking trail networks and installing small-scale infrastructure to enhance visitor experiences.