Background:
Following the development of a strategy to develop Kakheti as a high-quality, year round destination, the Government of Georgia, together with International Bank for Reconstruction & Development (the World Bank), agreed to co-finance a USD 75 million Regional Development Project (RDP) to address several of the key challenges outlined in the strategy.
The objective of the RDP, which was implemented during the period 2012-2017, was to improve infrastructure services and institutional capacity to support the development of a tourism economy and culture heritage circuits in the region of Kakheti.
Project Objectives:
TDI was appointed by the Municipal Development Fund of Georgia to conduct Tourism and Project Performance Monitoring and Evaluation on Activities in Kakheti. The purpose of TDI’s assignment is to achieve a more detailed understanding of the current state of the tourism industry in Kakheti in the context of Georgia; and deploy mechanisms to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of activities undertaken from the initiation of RDP i.e. 2012 to increase visitor arrivals, spending, employment and tourism-related investment.
Project Activities:
The four main activities for which TDI was responsible were:
- Status quo analysis
- Develop a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Strategy
- Test and oversee initial data collection through implementation of the strategy
- Establish a system for providing periodic results reports
Project Outcome and Impact:
Measurement of program results will help the Government of Georgia to allocate resources more effectively for infrastructure, marketing, human resource development, policy reform, gender-specific interventions, etc.