As part of the Starring Georgia initiative, the country is poised to welcome an unprecedented number of tourists this year. For instance, up to 20,000 visitors are expected to flock to Tbilisi for Justin Timberlake’s concert alone, surpassing the total attendance for music seasons over the past two years.

The Starring Georgia information highlights a noteworthy trend: ticket sales indicate a growing interest among international music lovers, not only for Justin Timberlake’s concert but also for performances by other renowned artists featured by Starring Georgia, such as Guns N’ Roses and Empire Of The Sun.

“This year, we are seeing a surge in interest from music lovers across European nations, including Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, France, Sweden, Croatia, and Bulgaria. Many tourists attending Timberlake’s concert are coming from the USA and even Canada. Additionally, a significant influx is expected from post-Soviet countries, with Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan leading the way. Our country will also attract visitors from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar,” said a spokesperson from Starring Georgia.

Remarkably, there has been notably high interest this year from countries such as Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and others.

It is particularly impressive that all tickets for Justin Timberlake’s five concerts were sold out in a record-breaking six hours, with approximately 35,000 tickets purchased by customers from Georgia alone.

While 18,750 tourists attended Georgia during the past two successful seasons of Starring Georgia, this year’s numbers are expected to be significantly higher, which will substantially boost the nation’s economy.

The Starfall season will kick off with the Guns N’ Roses concert scheduled for May 30 at Firefly, marking the beginning of a vibrant tourist season in May.

As hotels prepare for the influx, other sectors, such as catering, transportation, and tourism, are also expected to see heightened activity. Local small and medium-sized businesses will thrive as they offer their services to tens of thousands of tourists.

In terms of financial impact, figures from the previous two years reveal that events organized under the Starring Georgia banner generated over GEL 60 million in revenue from foreign tourists alone.

Ultimately, Starring Georgia has brought together 125,000 music enthusiasts over the past two years, even managing to attract both Georgian and foreign visitors to Shekvetili twice during last year’s off-peak season in May. Most importantly, these numbers are significantly lower than what we should anticipate this year,” the report from Starring Georgia concludes.