Working Language: Georgian and English / Wi-Fi Pass: hilton25
Registration
Venue: Hilton Batumi Hotel, 40 Rustaveli Avenue
“How Leaders Are Made in the World of Hospitality”
Ana Chkhaidze – General Manager, Hampton by Hilton Batumi
“Future Destinations: Beyond Sustainability and Empowering the Supplier”
Tomotaka Hirabayashi – EY Strategy & Consulting Co. (Japan); Member, Digital Transformation Committee, Japan Tourism Agency
Connecting the Caucasus: Lessons in creating new regional adventure tourism opportunities from the Transcaucasian Trail
Meagan Neal - Executive Director, Transcaucasian Trail Association
“Coffee as the guest’s first experience”
Tamaz Megrelishvili – Founder and Director, Julius Meinl Georgia, Aleksandre Narsia – Marketing Manager, Julius Meinl Georgia
“The Power of Hotel Design: How Spaces Transform into Marketing and Sales Tools”
Elene Paatashvili – Head of Communications, Adjara Group
Panel discussion
“Prospects for MICE Tourism Development in Georgia”
Moderator: Vika Sharia – Founder & Director, ODA DMC
Panelists:
David Gesto – Director of Operations, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (Southern and Eastern Europe)
Vikrant Grover – Regional Director, KAZIN DMC (Caucasus Region)
Maia Sidamonidze – Managing Partner, Welcome to Georgia
Coffee Break
“Back to Nature: The Role of Hiking in Modern Tourism”
Giorgi Megrelidze – Founder, Adjara Hiking Club
Panel discussion
“Hidden Treasures: Georgia’s Untapped Tourism Potential in Archaeology, Cave and Underwater Cultural Heritage”
Moderator: Mamuka Berdzenishvili – Executive Director, Tourism Institute
Panelists:
Giorgi Bidzinashvili – Archaeologist, Visiting Professor at Ilia State University
Nikoloz Tsiskaridze – Cave Archaeologist
Niko Tushabramishvili – Head, Scientific Centre for Archaeological Research
“Rural tourism as an educational tool: engaging children in exploring nature”
Soso Lokhishvili and Ketevan Dvali – Co-founders, “Chventan”
“Regional Development and Economic Diversification through Investments in High-Class Hotels”
Maia Murachashvili – Hotelier, Founder and CEO, Hotel Strategy Management Group
Turkish Tourism: Growth and Standardization Through Legal Intervention
Banu Bedel – Chief Auditor, Directorate General of Investments and Establishments, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye
Workshop (held in parallel)
„AI Meets Georgian Hospitality: Real Examples and Smart Insights“
The workshop will be presented by DataAppeal (working language: English)
Discover how AI is transforming hospitality with real-life examples from Georgia and Batumi through the DataAppeal exclusive D/AI Coach platform. This hands-on session will demonstrate how to analyse customer feedback, enhance your online reputation, and boost revenue using AI-driven insights — with an optional preview of D/AI Destinations for Batumi.
Developing Innovative Services: A Practical Workshop for the Hospitality Industry
The workshop is presented by the ENRICHER Hubs project implemented under the Erasmus+ programme. Additional information: www.enricher.eu (Working language: Georgian)
The workshop aims to engage participants in an interactive process where they will work on real challenges in the hospitality industry using modern service design methodologies. Participants will go through the full cycle of creating an innovative service — from identifying the problem to generating ideas and prototyping. Through practical exercises and teamwork, they will learn how to transform customer needs into real, valuable services and how innovation can become a competitive advantage in the tourism and hospitality sector.
Georgia’s National Blue (Maritime) Economy Day / The event is held in the conference space “Armazi.”
The event is presented by the European Commission’s Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea (https://black-sea-maritime-agenda.ec.europa.eu/) (Working languages: Georgian and English)
The Georgian National Day is designed to strengthen the knowledge and collaboration of local and regional stakeholders engaged in Georgia’s Blue Economy. Participants will explore development opportunities in marine tourism , maritime transport, and fisheries & aquaculture within the framework of the Common Maritime Agenda (CMA) for the Black Sea. The session will also introduce the newly appointed Georgian National Coordinators (NCs), providing a platform for direct dialogue and enhanced networking.
The workshop will highlight recent national policies and strategies related to the Blue Economy, present the progress of the CMA Technical Group on Sustainable Tourism, and focus on the potential of underwater cultural heritage as an emerging tourism product. Participants will also gain insights into funding mechanisms for Black Sea stakeholders and learn about the European Commission’s new Sea Basin and Macro-Regional Strategy, including the EU Ocean Pact.
The thematic discussions—covering sustainable maritime tourism, maritime transportation, fisheries and aquaculture—will be shaped in consultation with the National Coordinators. To enrich the conversation, members of the CMA Sustainable Tourism Technical Group will contribute to the dialogue.
Overall, the workshop aims to inspire collaboration, generate new project ideas, and promote sustainable investment across the region’s Blue Economy sectors.
Working Language: Georgian and English / Wi-Fi Pass: hilton25
Registration
Venue: Hilton Batumi Hotel, 40 Rustaveli Avenue
Opening Ceremony
Welcome remarks by organizers
“Analytical Overview of Georgia’s Tourism Sector”
Giorgi Bregadze – Professor, Caucasus University School of Tourism
“Analysis of Online Activities in the Hospitality Market: Key Findings from the Past Three Years and 2026 Trends”
Levan Leshkasheli – Client Success Manager, Exely
“How to Leverage Data and AI for Better Management of Hospitality Businesses and Destinations”
Giancarlo De Luca – Partnership & Business Development Manager, Data Appeal Company (Italy)
“The Future of Ecotourism in Kolkheti”
Khatuna Katsarava – Head of Administrative Division, Kolkheti National Park
“Roaming as a past experience and Global Cell’s innovation: seamless telecom service worldwide — with a Georgian number and free calls”
Giorgi Maduashvili – CEO, GLOBALCELL
Panel discussion
“AI in Tourism – A Different Mind of Travel”
Moderator: Tinatin Goguadze – Co-Founder, eConsul
Panelists:
Ani Bakhturidze – Operations Manager, Hotel Episode
Irakli Kikoria – Co-Founder, SkillCraft Academy
Artificial Intelligence – Virtual Panelist
Giorgi Akhalaia - Wandero inc, Co-founder & Chief Commercial Officer
Coffee Break
“Developing Regional Tourism Products through Digitalization and Cooperation: Lessons from the Trans Dinarica Route”
Jan Klovera – Head of Visit Good Place (Slovenia)
“Imedi L’s new platform for travel companies”
Nina Jankowska, Director of Marketing and Communications Department, Imedi L
“Effective Management of Mountain Resorts and Adaptation to Climate Change”
Guram and Vano Vashakmadze – Mountain Tourism and Extreme Sports Consultants, Caucasus Consulting Group
Panel discussion
“Standards as a Balance Between Environment, People, and Business Growth”
Moderator: Teona Nemsitsveradze – Head of Standards Committee, Georgian Tourism Association
Panelists:
Natalia Kvachantiradze – Head, Georgian Tourism Association
Petre Tsulukidze – Public-Private Partnership Development Team Leader
Skills Agency Georgia
Mako Chikoidze – Business Development Director, LANDMARKER GROUP
Berdia Chankseliani - Deputy State Representative of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti
“Recipe for the Future of Tourism: Technology, Innovation, and a Pinch of Artificial Intelligence”
Levan Giorgadze – Founder, Tbilisi Walking Tours
“Aggressive marketing in tourism”
Giorgi Melikishvili - Fouder & CEO of Travelfy | Around The World
Workshop (held in parallel)
“In-depth Analysis of Booking Channel Distribution: How to Unlock the Full Potential of Each Channel”
The workshop will be presented by Exely (working language: Georgian)
At this workshop, Exely will share insights on how to maximize revenue through each distribution channel. Together with the Exely team, you will analyze real data, identify the potential of each channel, and learn how to manage them strategically.
,,Future Ecotourism in Kolkheti - Routes and Tours''
The workshop will be presented by HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation Local Economic Development Project (working language: Georgian)
An overview of the tourism opportunities currently available in Kolkheti National Park — what Kolkheti offers today and what can be developed further. Discussion of various routes together with stakeholders, exploring how to attract more visitors to Kolkheti and what is planned from the project’s side.
„Regional Tourism Cooperation and Product Development Across the Eastern Partnership (EaP) region“
The workshop will be presented by RECONOMY (working language: English)
This workshop will explore regional tourism cooperation and product development across the Eastern Partnership region, with a focus on Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova. Participants will strengthen coordination between public and private sectors, exchange experiences from RECONOMY initiatives, and identify opportunities for joint cross-border tourism products and partnerships.