The Basis of Tourism and Hospitability
Irina Gogorishvili, Doctor of Economic Science, Professor
In the development of the world economy tourism has a great place. In the countries of developed tourism, with the help of this field of economy, the sphere of trade and service are significantly developing.
This causes the growth of currency income and employment, preservation and development of tradition, cultural inheritance, and the most important of all their financial guarantee. So in the period of transition on the system of market economy tourism is among priorities of our country’s national economic development.
It’s true that today Georgian tourism is experiencing a nomber of difficulties, but acknowledgement and necessity of its development is already visible. Also it is worth to remark that its regeneration is not connected only to time. For the development of modern tourism it is necessary to attract energetic, active, strong persons and train good specialists, provide them with suitable knowledge.
We have to aknowladge, that in the period of transition on the market relations it is difficult to find those high school professions, which are even partially provided with modern text-books created in Georgian language. Neither tourism is exception in this direction, which has received the status of independent profession in the last decade. Foreign special literature is diminished in our country at all.
In the sphere of tourism for training professional stuff, the text-book – “Basis of Tourism and Hospitability” – made by M. Metreveli, the Docotr of Economic Science, is very timely. In it with popular language there is described situation existing in this sphere, factors acting on it and development tendencies as abroad, also in our country.
The most important of all is the fact, that the mentioned book represents the research, which contains the materials as about the regions and countries of the world, also about tourism potential of Georgia, about its past, present and perspective of its development. Each of them is necessary not only for training national professional staff of tourism, but also it creates hard basis for development of tourism science in Georgia, which has been carried out successfully by the author during the last years.
It is very important, that the content and structure of the book is composed according to the educational program of the author. According to the issues it contains questions and quizzes, which gives students possibility to work independently. There are explained nearly all specific terminology in a very simple, understandable language for readers, which makes easier to work on the book and creates basis for learning special discipline of tourism. It is worth mentioning about plenty of websites in internet, which gives readers possibility to become aware existing extra information on concrete questions. Offered informational materials in such a large quantity, as about international, also theoretical and practical issues of local tourism, will cause a great interest of University students. This book will help everyone, who wants to work in this sphere.