Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists that claims of bad treatment toward Russian tourists in Georgia are an opposition campaign to sabotage national interests, RIA Novosti reported. Kobakhidze said the claims are intended to undermine the country.
The prime minister specified that politicians who were in power from 2008 to 2012 are behind the effort. He stated that although those figures actively worked to attract Russian tourists to Georgia while in government, they have since become the main Russophobes. Kobakhidze added that they have conducted several waves of a Russophobic campaign focused directly on tourism.
Opposition campaign and car vandalism
Kobakhidze emphasized that opposition members intensify the campaign at the peak of every tourist season, with the sole goal of sabotaging their own country and its national interests.
The comments follow an earlier incident in Georgia where Russian travelers had their vehicle scratched over its Russian tricolor license plates. The travelers reported finding a deep scratch running from wing to wing across the car.
