Under the shadow of hotel tragedy, Georgia ski resort’s emerging Indian connection

The incident, however, shed light on the growing Indian presence in Gudauri, which started developing as a tourist resort after the first hotel was established there in the late 1980s. Located near the Russian border, Gudauri is now home to nearly 36 Indian and Indian-Arabic restaurants, catering to the increasing number of Indian tourists and students who are primarily pursuing medical education in Georgia.

One such restaurant is owned by Elizabeth Johny, who belongs to Ernakulam in Kerala. A partner at Lunch Bokx, an Indian restaurant that opened six months ago in Gudauri, she says her first restaurant has been running successfully in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, for over a decade now.

“Gudauri is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Georgia. In winter, people come here to ski. In summer, they visit the resort to enjoy the cool weather,” says Elizabeth, adding that her new restaurant gets a couple of hundred visitors daily in Gudauri.

The Gudauri ski resort is famous for its ski slopes and snow-capped mountains. (Photo: Special Arrangement)

Talking about the presence of Indians in Gudauri’s hospitality industry, she says, “Of the over 100 restaurants, hotels and motels here, around 36 are owned by Punjabis, Gujaratis, South Indians and Pakistanis. All these restaurants serve Indian food. My restaurant serves South Indian food. The presence of locals in Gudauri is nominal. The ski resort is usually filled with tourists and people in the hospitality and skiing business.”

On Gudauri’s growing appeal among Indians, Darpan Parashar, the president of the Business Chamber in Georgia since 2021, says, “Ever since direct flights from New Delhi to Georgia started a few years ago, so did the influx of Indian tourists and students. This in turn led to the opening of new Indian restaurants here.”

Before Gudauri became popular among Indian visitors, it was a preferred skiing destination among Europeans due to its scenic beauty and ski slopes. “The town’s proximity to the Russian border — it is the only open crossing between Georgia and Russia — also adds to its appeal,” says Parashar.

According to a report in Georgia Today, a local English newspaper, the first ski lift opened in Gudauri in 1988, while Georgia was still a part of the erstwhile Soviet Union. As Gudauri cemented its reputation as the leading winter resort in eastern Europe, several ski lifts were constructed here, the newspaper report adds.

As per Georgia’s National Statistics Office, Gudauri was the top mountain resort destination for international visitors to the country in 2023. Of the nearly 4.50 lakh international visitors who went to mountain resorts in Georgia in 2023, 71% visited Gudauri.

Today, Georgia has become a hub for Indian students, especially those hoping to pursue medicine. Parashar says over 20,000 Indian students study in Georgia at present, primarily in its 21 medical universities.

He says, “Since Gudauri is just a two-hour drive from Tbilisi, it is rare to find an Indian student in Georgia who hasn’t visited this stunning destination.”

Gudauri indeed seems to be a popular destination among Indian students based in Tbilisi.

Harsh Vardhan, a fourth-year MBBS student at Georgian American University in Tbilisi, says, “I visited Gudauri recently with friends. We have been going there regularly since then due to its proximity to Tbilisi. At times, we just go there to eat at an Indian restaurant,” says Harsh.

Harsh Sharma runs an Indian grocery store in Tbilisi that supplies items to many Indian restaurants in Gudauri. (Photo: Special Arrangement)

Garima, a fifth-year MBBS student from Alte Medical University Tbilisi, says she had visited Gudauri for the first time last year and was planning to go there for Christmas this year with friends. “Visiting Gudauri is easy and convenient. Most students love to go there for a day-long trip and for the tasty Indian food available there,” she says.

Anfas, a student from Kerala, first visited Gudauri six months back. “I visit Gudauri regularly now because of its scenic beauty. Finding food is never an issue, thanks to the presence of several Indian restaurants there,” he says.

For Indian tourists planning a three-four day trip to Georgia, Gudauri is a must-visit destination, Parashar says. “Travel agents are aware of the easy availability of Indian food here. Many travel agents also bring workers from India to staff the numerous Indian restaurants in the area,” he says.

Rajesh Kumar is one such person. The manager of Spice Garden restaurant in Gudauri at present, Rajesh came to Georgia a year ago in search of better employment opportunities. He says agents not only facilitated his legal travel, but also helped him find employment.

Harsh Sharma, who has been running an Indian grocery store, Cash and Carry, in Tbilisi for nearly a decade, says he supplies items to dozens of Indian restaurants in Gudauri, including Haveli, where the tragedy happened last week.

Stating that Indians students were among his most frequent customers, Harsh says, a restaurant named Taj Mahal was one of the first Indian eateries to open in Gudauri nearly a decade ago. “Though it is closed now, it is set to reopen soon,” he adds.

Harsh, who hails from New Delhi, says Haveli was located in Tbilisi, but relocated to Gudauri nearly three years ago, where they opened two branches.

He recalls speaking to one of the victims, Varinder Singh, a few days before the tragedy struck. “He told me that he wanted to visit India since he had not gone home in nearly two years,” Harsh claims.