This is the last issue of the Khachapuri Index column in 2012 (#44 this year and #74 overall since the project’s launch in June 2011). Therefore, we would like to wish our readers many causes for magnificent Georgian supras in the new 2013, with a lot of khachapuri and wine.
The ISET Khachapuri Index is based on the prices of six ingredients used to cook the Imeretian khachapuri, which is considered to be the most common in Georgia. However, Imereti has no monopoly on khachapuri and most other Georgian regions have their own traditional recipes an...
ISET Economist Blog
A blog about economics in the South Caucasus.
Dec
24
Dec
19
Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index of UN (T&T CI) ranked Georgia 73, in 2011. With this rank, Georgia topped South Caucasus region nevertheless, maintaining the same rank as in 2009. This could mean that not much had improved during those three years in terms of competitiveness of Georgia as a brand in the business of tourism.
Looking at the data on international tourist arrivals and international tourism receipts – they both have been steadily increasing since 2000.
From the first glance this upward trend seems promising. We have more tourist...
Dec
17
Georgia’s competitiveness is said to hinge on its strategic location between East and West. The latest data on border crossings (by people and trucks) allow to shed light on progress to date and take a glimpse into the future.
The efforts to develop Georgia as a major touristic destination in recent years seem to have paid off. The number of international arrivals to Georgia has been growing rapidly, reaching 2,822,363 in 2011. In the first 11 months of 2012, the number of visitors exceeded 4mln, which is 58% more than in the same period of 2011.
Interna...
Dec
07
There are different ways to measure the success of nations. Various surveys are conducted and different indices are compiled to measure the well-being of countries across the world. Nowadays, there is an increasing interest to measure a country’s success not just in economic terms but far more broadly.
Fortunately, Georgia is getting better and better integrated in these types of comparative studies, giving us an idea of where we stand.
Table 1: Georgia’s recent rankings in a sample of surveys:
Legatum Prosperity Index 2012 is the one I will revie...
Nov
30
We may recall that the Lazika city project has been proposed by the Saakashvili administration to accelerate the process of urbanization. A new city was suggested as a means of absorbing surplus rural population and thus paving the way for land consolidation and greater productivity in agriculture. No country, it was claimed, was able to modernize itself while maintaining almost 50% in rural employment.
Yet, if we look at the global statistics, Georgia is reasonably urbanized. With 53.2% of urban dwellers, Georgia is ranked 107 in the world, slightly beh...
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