February 21, 2022 News

Thanks to financial assistance, Teimuraz was able to modernize his hotel in Georgia

One of the long term projects supported by the Caritas Czech Republic in Georgia is supporting the small and medium-sized enterprises in the Racha province. Thanks to our help, local people can stay in the region and continue working in the sectors traditional to the area - as well as Teimuraz, who has opened a small hotel here.

Back to the roots

One of those who received the financial grant in 2021 from Caritas Czech Republic and SlovakAid is Teimuraz Gugeshashvili. “I come from Racha. I have completed my secondary education here untill the 8th grade and then moved to the capital. The idea of returning to my origins never left me. These mountains, my yard, were always on my mind.”

So in 2008, Teimuraz and his family came back to the city of Oni in Racha region. As many others in this region Teimuraz started a business in tourism. He opened a hotel in one of the original Oda Houses to provide tourists with traditional accommodation in the beautiful surroundings. The traditional Racha Oda Houses are made of wood with the richly carved decorations. Nowadays they are still popular as tourist accommodation but they also have disadvantages: “In winter they require a lot of heating,” describes Teimuraz.

Tourism is a significant source of income and Georgia also attracts tourists from the Czech Republic. In Georgia we can find ski resorts and sandy beaches too. The Racha region is very attractive mainly because of its mountains, lakes and waterfalls, but also historical monuments. In the traditional hotels such as the one run by Teimuraz, guests can taste the traditional atmosphere and food as well as the semi-sweet red wine Khvanchkara.

Financial grants help to preserve jobs

The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 has caused a severe blow to tourism. It has also hit Teimuraz and his hotel. Grant from Caritas Czech Republic helped him as well as his employees: “We applied for the grant, received it and fixed the central heating system, which allowed us to continue working even in winter time and provide our staff with permanent jobs.”

Teimuraz shares his story in the following video: