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Travel agency inks pact with Georgian National Airlines

DUBAI — Orient Travel and Touring Agency yesterday signed a General Sales Agency agreement with Georgian National Airlines for the UAE.

Present at the signing ceremony were Shaikh Faisal Al Qasimi, President of Orient Travel and Touring Agency; Asim Arshad, General Manager of Orient Travel and Touring Agency; and George Kodua, President of Georgian National Airlines.

Georgian National Airlines plans to start operations from Tbilisi, Georgia to Dubai from mid-January 2005, starting twice-weekly operations to be operated by AB320 aircraft.

“By linking the two countries with an excellent airline like Georgian National Airlines, we are confident that trade and tourism will be developed between the two countries. Orient Travel and Touring Agency, our partners here, will look after all the activities, including sales promotions, marketing, etc for us in this region,” Kodua said in a statement.

Georgian National Airlines currently operates domestically within Georgia with daily operations from Tbilisi to Kutaisi and Patumi. Internationally, it operates direct flights with high frequency from Tbilisi to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev and Minsk. It has obtained permission to operate to Paris, London, Munich, Zurich, Budapest and Istanbul, among others.

“Tbilisi as a city is very safe and secure for all tourists with highest safety standards. We feel that Georgia is an ideal destination for the residents of the UAE and likewise, we will be promoting tourism in a big way from Georgia to the UAE, particularly Dubai and Sharjah. Our government is providing us with excellent infrastructure, support and all its resources to develop tourism in the region. The visa restrictions have been completely lifted. Visitors from most countries do not need a visa before they arrive into Tbilisi. For a small fee of $10, they are granted a visa on arrival at the airport,” he said.

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