Second Regional Development Project

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The development objective of the Second Regional Development Project for Georgia is to improve infrastructure services and institutional capacity to support increased contribution of tourism in the local economy of the Imereti region. There are two components to the project. The first component is infrastructure investments in urban regeneration of Tskaltubo and tourism circuits' development. A first component includes the following sub-components: 1) urban regeneration of Tskaltubo. An integrated approach for the urban renewal of Tskaltubo city: this includes a) rehabilitation of municipal infrastructure and utilities in the central area; b) upgrading of public spaces, parks, and construction of tourism amenities, and c) restoration of public buildings with vernacular architecture. The activities will help improve livability and hospitality in a culturally-informed manner, enhance attractiveness for visitors, revitalize the urban nucleus, and attract increased volume of private sector investments around the medical and spa tourism cluster. 2) tourism circuits development: an integrated approach to site upgrading and improved management of the six most attractive cultural heritage sites in Imereti: including Gelati Monastery; Vani Museum and surrounding archaeological site; the Ubisa Church; the Katskhi Church, the Katskhi Column Monastery, and the Motsameta Monastery. This includes a) improving urban landscaping and public parking; b) construction of information kiosks and public toilets; c) restoration and refurbishing of the exterior and interior of the Vani Museum; d) improving access roads; and e) preservation of selected cultural heritage sites. The second component is institutional development. The second component includes the following sub-components. 1) establishment of Tskaltubo destination management and development office: this will create the institutional framework to ensure proper operation and maintenance of all assets that will be constructed/rehabilitated in Tskaltubo, and conduct marketing and promotion activities for the Imereti region; 2) sustainable tourism development and promotion: this will promote Imereti as a new sustainable tourism destination and create a mechanism for community participation, stakeholder consultations, and involvement of local government in the region's tourism development; 3) preparation of visitor management plans for the sustainability of the project's cultural heritage sites; 4) skilled workforce development and capacity building: this will provide demand-driven capacity building training activities to three groups in order to establish a targeted, integrated workforce development program in tourism-related businesses in the Imereti region; 5) performance monitoring and evaluation; and 6) construction supervision support: this will provide Municipal Development Fund (MDF) with construction supervision from an international consulting firm.