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Why Do Tourists Pay Seven Lari More for a Museum Ticket in Gori?

August 1, 2007

maglaferidzeb.jpgThis year, there are a lot of foreign tourists in Gori streets. They are from England, America, Poland, and the Ukraine. Tourists arrive in Gori to see Stalini Monument and museum. However, unlike local people, foreigners have to pay more for tickets.

Robert Maghlakelidze, the head of the Shida Kartli Regional Culture and Rest Department, said that he had never seen so many tourists in Gori before. Local Police Department works in emergency regime to protect visitors. “This year full personnel of police department is mobilized to keep order in the city and to protect visitors from attacks. Robbers might grab their photo cameras or personal computers. For example, a week ago a group of forty American volunteers arrived in the city. They are walking along the streets, doing sightseeing in the district and we are trying to control the situation,” said Shota Rostiashvili, the head of the Internal Ministry’s Gori Department.

Police mobilization was caused by urgent situation. One American tourist was robbed of everything several days ago. Luckily the crime was soon revealed and police returned everything to the victim tourist.

Gori Fortress, Stalini Culture and Rest Park and various historical monuments in the district territory are those places which attract foreign tourists. However, to visit Stalini Museum they have to pay 10 lari while local people pay only 3 lari for it.

Robert Maghlakelidze said in his conversation with the Human Rights Center (HRIDC) that similar differentiation of visitors is not very much appreciable.

“The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Monument Protection estimates the entrance fees together with Museum Administration. Similar situation is in Uflistsikhe; Georgian visitors pay 3 lari for a visit and foreigners pay 10 lari,” said Maghlakelidze.

The head of the Culture and Rest Department added that Monument Protection Department has never applied to the Ministry regarding the situation. However, Maghlakelidze thinks that the rights of foreign visitors are violated when they pay extra money.

Officials from the Culture Ministry define that museum administration fixes the price for ticket and then agrees it with the Ministry. Inga Karaia, the specialist-in-chief for the Ministry, said that the list of official prices must be put up on the wall in the museum and every visitor should see it. Groups of tourists might enjoy some discounts as well as students’ groups. But in Gori the situation is opposite. “We have not given similar directions to the museum administration. Just the opposite, similar differentiation of foreigners is discrimination. The Ministry of Culture is against fixing different prices for local and foreign visitors,” said Inga Karaia. The information about different prices is not given on the museum website.

As for the Museum Administration, Gela Naskidashvili, the director of the museum, confirms that foreign visitors pay ten lari for the ticket. However, he added that the increased price was agreed with the Ministry of Culture. Naskidashvili pointed out that he cannot observe anything negative in the situation. “What is the problem if foreigners pay more money? They have higher salaries than Georgian people.” At the beginning of the year, the price for the ticket was five lari but the administration decided to increase it to ten lari in summer.


Thea Tedliashvili, Gori
 

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