Gori Municipality Inspiringly Driving Diverse Changes to Realize its Touristic Potential

Gori Municipality is vigorously taking advantage of the opportunities introduced to it by the EU’s Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) initiative to bring a tangible economic impact to the local community, especially in the tourism sector. Since 2019, it has been implementing the Local Economic Development Plan and its performance has been commended by the World Bank. The achievements recorded by Gori set an example to follow for other local authorities of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries and all countries in transition when it comes to facilitating sustainable economic growth and job creation.

Gori Municipality has conducted a series of activities at the local level to make the city more attractive to visitors. All tourist spots in the municipality are now connected with each other and various services have been established and/or enhanced for tourists. During these steps have the need for infrastructural development in the municipality was also highlighted. Accordingly, a park and an exhibition hall were rehabilitated in the city center, a new building was erected near Gori Castle, which, along with a tourism information center, includes conference, working and shopping areas, as well as luggage storage and a public toilet. Meanwhile, an area has also been set up for an open café in one of the city’s parks, and car parking areas and sanitary facilities have been established by all tourism areas. In addition, plans are in place to build cycling infrastructure in the historical parts of Gori including the city center, while a bicycle rental service will also be initiated. Moreover, an area is being built for the exhibiting and sale of locally-made products for tourists to buy, such as handmade souvenirs.

At the same time, Gori Municipality is assisting local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector and youth by increasing their capacity and building local partnerships between public and private sectors, thereby boosting the earnings of the local population and businesses from tourism.

Gori is one of 400 municipalities to benefit from the M4EG initiative, which was created in the course of the work of the EU’s Eastern Partnership (EaP), and is oriented toward supporting mayors and municipalities at the local level to work in partnership with businesses and civil society to accelerate economic growth, development, and job creation. The initiative is funded by the EU and is being implemented by PMCG, as part of a consortium led by Ecorys Nederland B.V.