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
Coaches Poll Top 25 sees Georgia football keep its ranking heading into rivalry week
ATHENS — To little surprise, Georgia picked up an easy win over Charlotte on Saturday.
The 35-3 win ensured Georgia would remain as the No. 4-ranked team in the Coaches Poll Top 25 heading into Week 14.
Georgia’s opponent heading into the final week of the season did not enjoy a stress-free Saturday, with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets falling 42-28 at home to Pitt.
The loss dropped Georgia Tech from No. 12 to No. 19 in the Coaches Poll rankings. The Yellow Jackets also saw their ACC championship game hopes take a serious hit. A win would’ve clinched a spot in the conference title game.
Now, Georgia Tech has to try and get off the mat with Georgia rolling into Atlanta.
The game won’t be played at home for Georgia Tech, with the game moving to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It will be a short week for both teams, with the game being played on Black Friday once again.
Last year’s contest was played in Athens and saw the Yellow Jackets jump out to a 17-0 lead. Georgia rallied to win in eight overtimes, 44-42.
Prior to yesterday’s loss, Georgia coach Kirby Smart made it known Georgia expects to get Georgia Tech’s best shot and then some this coming week.
“It’s the same amount of time they have, we have,” Smart said. “So I don’t know that it’s an advantage. The advantage, I guess you’re asking about, is you did it before, so repeating the process. But it’s a little different this time for us in terms of timing and everything because we’ve got to go on the road this time.”
Georgia will be fully occupied with trying to take down Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs do still have a chance to play back-to-back games in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, as Georgia is still alive to play in the SEC championship game.
Georgia’s chances of making it to the game did take a hit on Saturday with Vanderbilt beating Kentucky. The only scenarios in which Georgia can get to Atlanta involve either Texas A&M losing to Texas or Alabama losing to Auburn. Both of those games will be played after Georgia concludes its game against Georgia Tech.
Friday’s game is set for a 3:30 p.m. ET game on ABC.
You can see the full Coaches Poll Top 25 rankings below.
Coaches Poll Top 25 rankings for Week 14
- Ohio State
- Indiana
- Texas A&M
- Georgia
- Oregon
- Ole Miss
- Texas Tech
- Oklahoma
- Notre Dame
- Alabama
- BYU
- Vanderbilt
- Miami
- Utah
- Michigan
- Texas
- Virginia
- Tennessee
- Georgia Tech
- USC
- James Madison
- North Texas
- Tulane
- Pitt
- SMU
Georgia
No. 4 Georgia dominates Charlotte behind Bo Walker’s breakout performance
ATHENS, Ga. – Freshman Bo Walker ran for his first three career touchdowns, Nate Frazier added two scoring runs, and No. 4 Georgia cruised to a 35-3 victory over underdog Charlotte on Saturday, strengthening its position in the College Football Playoff race.
What we know:
Georgia (10-1) entered the game looking to protect its No. 4 CFP ranking and secure a first-round playoff bye. The Bulldogs overwhelmed Charlotte (1-10) for their seventh straight win, while the 49ers dropped their eighth consecutive game.
One week after Gunner Stockton threw four touchdown passes and ran for another in a 35-10 win over then-No. 10 Texas, the Bulldogs leaned heavily on their ground game, rushing for 192 yards and outgaining Charlotte 449-169.
Senior running back Cash Jones made his first start in his final home regular-season game, but Georgia’s offense found more rhythm with Frazier and Walker leading the rushing attack.
Frazier scored on runs of 2 and 7 yards in the first quarter. Walker followed with touchdown runs of 15 and 12 yards in the second quarter to extend the lead to 28-0.
Walker capped his breakout day with a 3-yard touchdown on Georgia’s first drive of the second half, set up by Stockton’s completions of 11 and 38 yards to Noah Thomas.
Georgia maintained focus despite a sparse crowd at Sanford Stadium, scoring the first 28 points and never being threatened. The convincing win should solidify the Bulldogs’ standing in both the AP Top 25 and CFP rankings.
Dig deeper:
Stockton, a fourth-year junior, participated in Georgia’s Senior Day ceremony, possibly signaling his intention to enter the NFL draft — though some fourth-year players take part and still return for another season.
What’s next:
Georgia will face No. 15 Georgia Tech on Friday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Georgia
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s 14th Georgia district remains solidly GOP
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Northwest Georgia’s 14th congressional district took center stage in American politics late Friday night with the astonishing news that U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is resigning.
Citing a disillusionment with the nation’s current political climate after a stunning break with President Donald Trump, Greene said her resignation would take effect Jan. 5, 2026.
READ: Marjorie Taylor Greene’s full statement
Georgia’s 14th congressional district stretches from the Chattanooga, Tennessee, metropolitan area in an east/south arc toward toward metro Atlanta’s outlying suburbs.
The district’s major population centers are Dalton (Whitfield County); Rome (Floyd County); Cartersville (Bartow County area near Paulding County); and portions of Paulding County (Dallas).
The district includes most, if not all, of Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Polk, Walker, Whitfield, and part of Pickens counties.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: This Sunday’s On The Record With Atlanta News First will feature an in-depth look at Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation and its impact on Georgia and the nation. Watch On The Record With Atlanta News First at 11 a.m.
While mostly white, the district has notable Hispanic populations concentrated around Dalton with its carpet-industry workforce.
Its economy is centering around manufacturing (particularly in Dalton’s carpet/rug industry); agriculture, and small business.
The Cook Partisan Voting Index rates the district solidly Republican, as does Ballotpedia. Historically GOP, it was represented by Tom Graves before his retirement in 2020.
Greene won the district initially in that election, winning a crowded GOP primary in a runoff before winning outright in November 2020.
She won reelection in 2022 – again, facing several GOP challengers – and 2024, where no Republican opposed her in the primary.
Arguably once President Trump’s staunchest ally in Congress, Greene’s relationship with the now-47th U.S. president has been deteriorating in recent weeks.
Georgia’s nationally watched midterms in the 2026 primary is May 19, 2026. Gov. Brian Kemp may decide to call for a special election before that date, or could simply let the seat remain vacant until the state’s primary rolls around.
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