Creative Industries Georgia

Creative industries in Georgia are a dynamic and integral part of the country’s cultural and economic landscape, blending ancient traditions with contemporary innovation. Georgia’s rich history, diverse heritage, and strategic location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia have shaped its creative economy, making it a hub for artistic expression and cultural exchange.

Flag of Georgia
Creative Industries Georgia, Tbilisi

Key Sectors

The Georgian creative industries span a wide range of sectors, including:

  • Film and Television: Georgia has gained international recognition as a filming destination, with its picturesque landscapes and historic architecture attracting global productions. The country also boasts a growing domestic film industry, supported by initiatives like the Georgian National Film Center.
  • Fashion and Design: Georgian fashion designers have made a significant impact on the global stage, with Tbilisi emerging as a fashion hotspot. Events like Tbilisi Fashion Week and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi showcase local talent and foster international collaboration.
  • Music and Performing Arts: Georgia’s vibrant music scene is rooted in its centuries-old tradition of polyphonic singing, recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of intangible cultural heritage. Contemporary artists and festivals, such as Tbilisi Open Air, bridge traditional and modern influences.
  • Crafts and Textiles: The country’s rich tradition in crafts, including handmade carpets, ceramics, and jewelry, continues to thrive, blending traditional techniques with modern aesthetics.
  • Digital and Gaming Industries: A burgeoning tech scene is fostering growth in digital arts, animation, and gaming, attracting young talent and international investment.

Trends and Challenges

Georgia’s creative industries are increasingly focused on sustainability and innovation. Designers and artists are exploring eco-friendly practices and leveraging digital platforms to reach global audiences. However, challenges such as limited funding, infrastructure, and access to international markets remain barriers to growth.

Government and International Support

The Georgian government has recognized the potential of creative industries as a driver of economic growth and cultural diplomacy. Programs like “Creative Georgia” aim to support creative entrepreneurs and promote the country’s cultural assets. International organizations, including the EU and UNESCO, also contribute to the development of Georgia’s creative economy through funding and partnerships.

Future Outlook

With its rich cultural heritage and growing emphasis on innovation, Georgia’s creative industries are poised for significant growth. By addressing challenges and fostering collaboration between local and international stakeholders, the sector can further cement its role in the global creative economy.

Georgia’s unique blend of tradition and modernity ensures that its creative industries will continue to captivate audiences worldwide, making it a cultural powerhouse in the region.



Population: 4,900,961
Capital: Tbilisi
Internet country code: .ge

Economy

Georgia’s main economic activities include cultivation of agricultural products such as grapes, citrus fruits, and hazelnuts; mining of manganese, copper, and gold; and producing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, metals, machinery, and chemicals in small-scale industries. The country imports nearly all of its needed supplies of natural gas and oil products. It has sizeable hydropower capacity that now provides most of its electricity needs.

Georgia has overcome the chronic energy shortages and gas supply interruptions of the past by renovating hydropower plants and by increasingly relying on natural gas imports from Azerbaijan instead of from Russia. Construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the South Caucasus gas pipeline, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad are part of a strategy to capitalize on Georgia’s strategic location between Europe and Asia and develop its role as a transit hub for gas, oil, and other goods.

Georgia’s economy sustained GDP growth of more than 10% in 2006-07, based on strong inflows of foreign investment, remittances, and robust government spending. However, GDP growth slowed following the August 2008 conflict with Russia, and sank to negative 4% in 2009 as foreign direct investment and workers’ remittances declined in the wake of the global financial crisis. The economy rebounded in the period 2010-17, but FDI inflows, the engine of Georgian economic growth prior to the 2008 conflict, have not recovered fully. Unemployment remains persistently high.

The country is pinning its hopes for faster growth on a continued effort to build up infrastructure, enhance support for entrepreneurship, simplify regulations, and improve professional education, in order to attract foreign investment and boost employment, with a focus on transportation projects, tourism, hydropower, and agriculture. Georgia had historically suffered from a chronic failure to collect tax revenues; however, since 2004 the government has simplified the tax code, increased tax enforcement, and cracked down on petty corruption, leading to higher revenues. The government has received high marks from the World Bank for improvements in business transparency. Since 2012, the Georgian Dream-led government has continued the previous administration’s low-regulation, low-tax, free market policies, while modestly increasing social spending and amending the labor code to comply with International Labor Standards. In mid-2014, Georgia concluded an association agreement with the EU, paving the way to free trade and visa-free travel. In 2017, Georgia signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China as part of Tbilisi’s efforts to diversify its economic ties. Georgia is seeking to develop its Black Sea ports to further facilitate East-West trade.