The Svaneti region is located in northwestern Georgia on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus mountains and is divided into two parts: Upper Svaneti on the upper Inguri River, which is administratively part of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and has the main town Mestia, and Lower Svaneti on the upper Tskhenistsqali River, which is administratively part of Racha Lechkhumi and has the main town Lentekhi.
Svaneti’s landscape is dominated by mountains separated by deep gorges. The region below 1,800 meters above sea level is mostly covered by mixed and coniferous forests. The zone consists of alpine meadows and grasslands that extend from 1,800 meters to approximately 3,000 meters above sea level. In areas above 3,000 meters above sea level, eternal snows and glaciers take over.
The main road connecting Svaneti to the rest of Georgia runs along the Enguri river and is used by the vast majority of visitors heading to Svaneti, specifically to Mestia, the regional capital and a transportation hub.
Svaneti can be visited all year aroud, but the majority of visitors come in the summer for hiking and winter for skiing. Late autumn is a good time to visit famous places without crowds.
Upper Svaneti has the best walking and climbing trails, as well as the most enduring traditions. The walking season typically lasts from early June to mid-October.
A large portion of the Svaneti region’s population is involved in agriculture; the region plays an important role in the agriculture sector, particularly in corn and fruit growing and animal husbandry, which attracts new interested investors and creates opportunities for future growth and development in the region.
Svaneti is actively involved in the tourism sector, and as the region develops, it has enormous potential for various types of tourism. Samegrelo has enormous potential for developing experience and cultural tourism, while Zemo Svaneti has numerous opportunities for ski and extreme tourism.
The current government is actively examining the prospects of Tsalenjikha municipality to develop adventure tourism; additionally, research has shown that the development of ecotourism could be extremely appealing to international tourists: there is already experience of tourists undertaking primarily mountain adventure tourism routes.
The regions’ energy sector represents an exciting opportunity for both domestic and international investors too.
There has also been talk about the local government inventorying and selling state-owned facilities in order to compile a comprehensive list of such assets and quickly disseminate information about them in order to attract potential investors.