Adjara

Adjara operates as Georgia's primary Black Sea tourism destination, Batumi's modern skyline representing investment-driven transformation that converted a sleepy Soviet-era resort into a casino and beach destination. The autonomous republic's special status—negotiated in Soviet times for its historically Muslim population—provides administrative flexibility that other Georgian regions lack.

Tourism provides the economic engine. Casinos attract visitors from Turkey and other countries where gambling faces restrictions; beach resorts serve both regional and European markets; the cruise port handles increasing traffic. This concentration creates seasonal employment patterns where summer activity drives annual earnings. Batumi's population has grown as economic opportunity attracts internal migrants from rural Georgia.

Agriculture in the interior—particularly tea and citrus—provides traditional livelihoods that tourism cannot replace at scale. The Turkish border creates trade flows and labor migration patterns that integrate Adjara with its southern neighbor. Whether Adjara's tourism model can sustain growth—or whether casino dependence creates vulnerability to regulatory changes in source markets—tests the sustainability of Batumi's transformation.