Georgia
Georgia's tourism industry hit by loss of Israeli visitors
“Bookings have been cancelled, and projections for new bookings are very low” according to one restauranteur.
Georgia’s summer season has begun but a significant share of visitors are missing: Israelis.
The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has meant Israelis are less able or unwilling to travel internationally. This drop in numbers is being felt in Georgia which usually welcomes many visitors from Israel.
“The loss is noticeable. The situation in the region has affected the number of tourists from Israel,” says Levan Giorgadze from Tbilisi Free Walking Tours.
“Compared to previous years, the number of tourists from Israel has decreased noticeably. I wouldn’t say that they don’t come at all anymore, it’s just, of course, in smaller quantities.”
Georgia’s capital Tbilisi is popular year-round with tourists, while the beaches along the Black Sea coast are a popular summer holiday destination.
Shota Burjanadze, Chairman of the Georgian Restaurateurs Association, expressed similar worries: “Bookings have been cancelled, and projections for new bookings are very low. Therefore, unfortunately, this year will not live up to expectations.”
But not everyone agrees. Maia Omiadze, Head of Georgia’s Tourist Association, believes the summer will be busy, bustling and successful. She notes that the 15 places from which tourists visit the most include Georgia‘s neighbouring countries, Persian Gulf nations and the European Union.
“The data for the first quarter of 2024 was very positive. This result allows us to have high expectations and to assume that the second quarter, the summer season and the general trend towards the end of the year in the tourism industry will be very positive,” she says.
“We expected tourists mainly from Asia, Persian Gulf and European countries. European countries made up 5% of the total number. Today, tourists are mainly expected to visit Adjara and are largely coming from our neighbouring countries, Turkey, Armenia and Russia,” Maia adds.
Office for National Statistics data for the first quarter of 2024 shows these nations still hold the top three places for the most number of visitors to Georgia.
Watch the video above to see more about Georgia’s tourism industry in 2024.
Georgia
WATCH: Driver smirks in mugshot after allegedly hitting group of cyclists in caught-on-camera road rage
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An elderly man offered a smirk for his mugshot after being arrested in a caught-on-camera hit-and-run involving a cyclist group.
Jerry Wayne Ross, 72, faces charges for an alleged hit-and-run with his Honda Pilot, all caught on video, on April 23 in Cherokee County, Georgia, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
The North Georgia Cycling Association was on its weekly Thursday night ride when the driver was accused of driving up on the group in a suspected road rage incident.
One rider, identified as Richard Collins, the leader of the group, told Fox 5 Atlanta the black SUV tailed the group and laid down the horn.
FLORIDA MAN VIOLENTLY HIT BY SUV, POLICE SAY ROAD RAGE SPARKED THE INCIDENT
“Just excessive,” he told the outlet. “Didn’t let off the horn.”
The hit-and-run was caught on camera after a driver allegedly hit a cyclist participating in a group ride in Georgia April 13. (WAGA-TV)
The incident was caught on camera as the black Honda Pilot allegedly struck the cyclists after the driver honked at them.
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The group of cyclists, who fell after the clash, collided into the side of the SUV and fell onto the pavement.
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“I turned to my left to see it at that moment that vehicle was on my left leg,” Collins said.
In the video, the vehicle speeds away.
Richard Collins, leader of a North Georgia Cycling Association group ride, told WAGA-TV that an aggressive driver followed the cyclists for two minutes while honking continuously. According to Collins, the vehicle’s side mirror clipped a cyclist behind him before striking Collins directly, knocking him from his bike. (WAGA-TV)
Collins said he sustained road rash on his shoulder, elbow and knee and was treated by paramedics who were called. He later visited an orthopedist who discovered a fracture of his lower spine.
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Cherokee County Sheriff’s officials arrested Ross at a neighbor’s house nearby. Ross faces six charges, including hit-and-run, aggressive driving and failing to maintain a safe distance from a bicycle.
“I just hope this experience will raise awareness to the rules of the road for cyclists and how drivers should allow for the 3 feet distance in safe passing,” Collins said.
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Jerry Ross, 72, was taken into custody and charged with two counts of aggravated assault, hit-and-run, reckless driving, aggressive driving and failure to maintain a safe distance from a bicycle. (Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office)
In a statement, the North Georgia Cycling Association thanked law enforcement and emergency services for “their swift response and professionalism.”
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“We encourage all road users to follow the rules of the road, stay alert and respect one another. Sharing the road responsibly helps keep everyone safe,” the group said.
“We also encourage everyone to treat one another with care, patience and kindness — on and off the road. Most importantly, we are thankful that those involved made it home safely to their loved ones.”
Georgia
Georgia county’s HR policy council goes digital, boosting attendance, reducing grievances
To better serve county employees and streamline processes, the DeKalb County, Ga. Human Resources and Merit System (DeKalb HR) moved its quarterly policy council meetings online. The shift to digital has boosted attendance and made the meetings more efficient by enabling chat-based Q&A and real-time issue tracking, according to Jadia Haynes, the DeKalb County interim Human Resources director.
Since the DeKalb County Department of Human Resources and Merit System-led policy council moved online, there has been a 50% reduction in grievances, a 67% increase in meeting participation and a 50% improvement in Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) processing efficiency for 6,600 employees, according to county data.
DeKalb County has 45 departments, with more than 200 locations across the county where staff work, so many people who would otherwise want to attend the meetings when they were in-person were unable to, according to Katherine Furlong, interim deputy director, DeKalb County Human Resources Information Systems Division.
Between the length of the actual meeting and the time it took to commute there and back, it could take up to three hours out of some people’s days, noted Haynes.
County survey feedback shows 88% of department liaisons feel more informed and aligned with human resource policies after participating in a policy council meeting. Since shifting the meetings online, attendance has increased from an average of 75 people to 126.
“This gives the employees a lot more flexibility,” Haynes said. “So now the time commitment is a lot less, and more people can participate.”
The meetings are much more efficient and interactive now, as people can submit questions through Zoom’s chat feature, said Furlong.
People share more often with the comment feature, which Haynes attributes to people feeling more comfortable typing a message vs. speaking up in-person or on camera.
Policy council participants include directors, deputy directors, managers and department administrators. Utilizing Zoom enables the human resources department to review meetings to better inform the process and make improvements moving forward, Haynes said.
“We can go back and check the chat too, and see what types of questions people ask, so we can make sure we can follow up to ensure that we’ve addressed them,” Furlong said. “If we don’t address them verbally in the meeting, we say, ‘OK, we’ll take that as an action item and come back and make sure we give that back to the team.’”
Human Resources has received “rave reviews” from county employees regarding the shift to virtual, Haynes noted.
According to Kevin Buford, DeKalb County Parks and Recreation’s deputy director, the new structure has been “so valuable and useful.”
“We would be totally lost without this policy council,” said Debra DeBerry, DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court.
Georgia
Wild video captures elderly driver Jerry Ross, 72, crashing into group of cyclists on Georgia road
An elderly motorist is accused of driving through a group of bicyclists in Georgia – knocking one over and fracturing his spine – before speeding off in a hit-and-run that was caught on camera.
Jerry Wayne Ross, 72, flashed a wide grin in his booking photo as he faces charges for the alleged hit-and-run with his Honda Pilot, all caught on video, on April 23 in Cherokee County, Ga, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
The North Georgia Cycling Association was on their weekly Thursday night ride when the older driver was accused of driving up on the group in a suspected road rage incident.
The cycling group was in the middle of its 32-mile ride through Cherokee County when Ross appeared behind them, blasting his horn for nearly two miles along Sugar Pike Rd in Canton.
“Just excessive. Didn’t let off the horn,” Richard Collins, the leader of the group, told Fox 5 Atlanta.
The cyclists were riding double-wide along the scenic, rural road when Ross allegedly floored forward, alongside the leading pack of the group, according to video captured by one of the cyclists and obtained by the outlet.
Ross is believed to have pulled up alongside the first group of cyclists, striking one of the riders with his passenger side mirror.
“I turned to my left to see it, at that moment, that vehicle was on my left leg,” he said.
The cyclists, who became tangled up by the bump, collided into the side of Ross’ car and crashed onto the pavement.
The vehicle sped away as Collins was left lying in the road.
Collins said he sustained road rash on his shoulder, elbow and knee and was treated by paramedics who were called to the scene.
He was later examined by an orthopedist and discovered he had suffered a fracture to his lower spine, he told the outlet.
Both cyclists were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
Ross was found hiding out at a neighbor’s house down the road after officials from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office spotted damage to his SUV consistent with hitting a bicycle.
The suspected driver told authorities that he had encountered the group of cyclists but denied responsibility, blaming the bikers for the collision, saying the riders had been in the middle of the road, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
Ross was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault, aggressive driving, hit-and-run and failing to maintain distance, according to jail records viewed by The Post.
He remains behind bars in the Cherokee County Jail with his charges totaling $24,540.
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