November Trip to Abkhazia

I always feel like I learn quite a bit when I am in Abkhazia.  I spent time with officials of the government and was struck by several things.  One is that  when leaders met members of the political opposition, everyone greeted each other in a warm and friendly fashion.  Abkhazia is a small country and most of those who are in positions of authority know each other.  But it is clear that while they may disagree, they don't view each other as enemies.

I was also noticed how quiet Sukhom is at night after the tourist season.  It is a small city, but the economic situation prevents most people from socializing in clubs and restaurants.  I think that is going to change because of several reasons.  One is that I really believe in the tremendous potential of Abkhazia to develop into a major tourist destination.  There has been a more than 10 fold increase in tourism between 2003 and 2009.  In 2003 there were about 350,000 tourists.  This year the number was closer to 4,000,000. And you can see the signs of change in a lot of places.  There are a number of new construction projects in Sukhom and other parts of the country.  The mayor of Moscow was in Sukhom the week before me and the Moscow City government is building a center near the sea that will house both shopping space and offices.  There is plenty more happening, too.  I saw a number of projects that have begun to redevelop buildings or to build new projects.  Several foreign groups are looking at large scale tourism and commercial projects.  None of this is surprising considering the proximity to Russia and the Olympics in Russia, the mild climate and the spectacular beauty of Abkhazia.s beaches and mountains.

I heard a lot of opinions about this.  Most people believe that things are going to change and that the change will be for the better.  However, I did hear at least one person express reservations about economic development.  She feared the change from the quiet  lifestyle.  However, I think in her case it is simply the fear of the unknown.  Abkhazia endured years of isolation and limited electric services.  There was little tourism and not much money.  Now things are better, but even modestly priced cafes are out of the reach of most citizens.  Others spoke about increased home values, more and better products available to consumers and more and better paying jobs.

I think the areas that will experience redevelopment and growth the most quickly are Gagra and the beach areas between there and the Russian border, Pitsunda, Novy Afon, central Sukhom and its port and the airport just south of Sukhom.

There are a lot more cars in Abkhazia than there were on my first visit in 2006.   Still when crossing  the border into Russia at Adler, the massive construction projects and traffic are overwhelming.