Bright future for tourism by Keti Sikharulidze, The Messenger, December 17, 2004 11.01.2005 Marriott manager pleased with economic changes in 2004, sees more ahead in 2005 General Manager of Tbilisi's Marriott Hotel and Courtyard by Marriott, Igael Porecki believes that the coming year will bring increased investment in Georgia from abroad, adding that he is particularly hopeful that there will be growth in the tourism and hotel industries. "2005 will be a turning point for Georgia", Porecki said in an interview with The Messenger, saying that it would be characterized by significant changes in the economy. More airline companies will soon be operating services to Georgia, he believes, and "this will bring more business and more tourists." Mr. Porecki says there is very good reason for more tourists to come, because the country has so much to offer. "If I am here more than two years, it means that I love Georgia. Otherwise I would not stay here for such a long time," he says. Porecki believes that there is huge interest in Georgia among foreign companies, and that this reflects positive changes since the inauguration of Saakashvili, who he says has "brought great changes, especially for Marriott." In particular, Porecki points to improvements in the business environment, saying that this will lead to greater investment, which itself will increase demand for hotels. Part of this improvement has manifest itself in several international business conferences that were staged at Marriott's Courtyard Hotel which opened early this year. In the two years since Porecki arrived in the country, "There have been enormous changes both in the business environment and in the city," he says. Of course, one major change to the city has been the construction of a second Marriott hotel - the four-star Courtyard by Marriott on Freedom Square - to add to the five-star Tbilisi Marriott on Rustaveli Avenue. The Marriott Courtyard was opened in March 2004 and Porecki describes 2004 as a really good year for Marriott Hotels. "The Courtyard is doing fantastic and has very high occupancy, because the location is the best in the city. Before opening the Courtyard, business people and travelers who came to Tbilisi had to choose between the Sheraton and Marriott, which are both five star hotels of international standard. But now the Courtyard gives visitors another choice - to stay in a four star hotel with the same international standards," Porecki stated. Porecki hopes that in 2005 Marriott Hotels will be able to make further gains, becoming the market leader in Georgia. He said that he is optimistic for both Marriott and Georgia in 2005. "The main reason is that our hotels have lots of bookings for next year from June until October; usually we do not have so many advanced booking, especially in Courtyard. These bookings mean that people are planning some serious activities in Georgia. In general I am quite optimistic," he said. There is also increased competition on the horizon. By early fall the Silk Road Group had managed in clearing out the Soviet-ear Iveria Hotel, paving the way for it to bring in a new international hotel to Tbilisi. Porecki says that although new hotels are being built, he is confident Marriott will be able to make the most of the increased number of visitors. "Every new hotel that will be opened in Tbilisi will affect the other hotels, as people are curious to explore new hotels, but the Marriotts will remain leading hotels in Tbilisi because of their unique, historical buildings" Porecki says. However, for Georgian businessmen to make the most of opportunities in the country, the Marriott general manager says they must take a more long-term view of business. "Georgian business people who are providing services do not have a long-term vision," he says. "Maybe it is from their mentality that Georgians want to make money now, and do not see things in the long run, as they want to make money immediately." Porecki emphasizes the need for building good relations with clients, saying Georgians must "be more patient so as to create a relationship based on confidence with the supplier." It may be possible to make more money in the short term by taking advantage of big companies, but Porecki warns that in the long term this will not work. "The best style of doing business is when you are looking for a long-term relationship between supplier and buyer," Porecki says. <<Previous Back to NEWS archive Next>>