Director of Film Fund of Abkhazia, Alexander Besaria, has apologized for statements made about Russian tourists. He had previously stated that tourists from Russia pose a threat to Abkhazia's economic security.
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“I’m sincerely sorry that my thoughtless statements offended many people. The multi-ethnic people of Abkhazia have always been distinguished by their hospitality. Now I understand that such provocative statements I’ve made endanger the security of our country,” Basaria said in a statement published on Facebook.
He also noted that the film fund he founded is a private organization and has no connection to state structures.
“Dear countrymen and respected guests of the republic, I deeply regret my thoughtless actions and ask for forgiveness. I love, value, and respect you all," Basaria said.
According to RIA Novosti, in a video previously circulated in Russian social media, Beselia claimed that Russian tourists in Abkhazia buy cheap tour packages, prefer to stay on hotel premises, do not go on excursions, and do not spend money in clubs.
"Tour operators have engaged in very serious dumping in the areas of hotels, excursions, and transport logistics. Everyone is suffering because of this," Basaria stated in a fragment of the video found online.
Before his public apology, Besaria denied calling Russian tourists a “national threat.” As he said, Georgian and Ukrainian media had taken his quotes out of context to damage Russia-Abkhazia relations. Besaria stated that he criticized a major Russian tour operator working in Abkhazia, which destabilizes the market by offering inconvenient prices for the republic’s tourism sector.
The de facto Ministry of Tourism of Abkhazia responded to Alexander Besaria’s statement and said that Russian citizens are not and can not be a threat to the “national security of Abkhazia.”
"On the contrary, they are the basis of the tourist flow and have remained our republic's most important guests for many years. Alexander Basaria's statement is his personal opinion and does not reflect the official position of the state bodies of the Republic of Abkhazia," the so-called ministry stated.
In June, Kristina Lakerbaia, head of the Department for Obtaining and Issuing Permits from the so-called Ministry of Tourism, was dismissed after she stated that Abkhazia does not need Russian tourists who spend little money. According to Lakerbaia, Russians buy Doshirak in Abkhazia, while Abkhazians want them to buy their souvenirs and agricultural products.
