Georgia Sets Out New Rule for Tourism and Hospitality at FHS Dubai 2026

Sustainability is becoming a defining priority for the global hospitality industry, with destinations seeking ways to balance tourism growth, investment and community benefits. At FHS Dubai 2026, Teona Nemsitsveridze, Senior Strategic Representative of the Caucasus for the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and Georgian Tourism Association, shared her perspective on the sector’s shift towards net positive hospitality. In an exclusive conversation with Travel And Tour World Senior Editor Apratim Ghoshal, she discussed Dubai’s sustainability efforts, the importance of verified hospitality data, sustainable tourism investment in Georgia, and the need to strengthen education and employability skills to build a more resilient tourism industry.

Dubai Using Sustainability to Bring the Global Tourism Industry Together

Dubai is increasingly positioning sustainability as a central part of international tourism and hospitality development, with global industry gatherings creating opportunities for businesses, destinations and investors to exchange ideas and develop new partnerships. Speaking exclusively with Travel And Tour World at Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) World 2026 from September 29 to October 1, 2026, at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, Teona Nemsitsveridze, Senior Strategic Representative of the Caucasus for the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and Georgian Tourism Association, highlighted the importance of collaboration in creating meaningful change across tourism.

In conversation with Apratim Ghoshal, Senior Editor at Travel And Tour World, Nemsitsveridze said she was particularly encouraged by the deal-making energy and sustainability focus at the summit. She stressed that bringing people together from different markets is essential because the tourism sector can create a more substantial impact when destinations, hospitality companies, investors and communities work collectively.

“I love the work,” Nemsitsveridze said while discussing Dubai’s role in sustainability and international engagement. She added that working together can create a “serious impact in tourism and development”, underlining the importance of international cooperation at a time when sustainability is becoming a strategic priority for the global hospitality industry.

Her comments at FHS Dubai 2026 also placed particular emphasis on the transition from conventional sustainability initiatives towards net positive hospitality, a model that seeks to ensure tourism and hospitality businesses give more back to destinations and communities than they take.

Net Positive Hospitality Matter for Tourism

According to Nemsitsveridze, the hospitality sector needs to move beyond simply increasing awareness of sustainability and begin implementing measurable action at greater speed. She described the transition from sustainability tourism towards net positive hospitality as an important next step for the industry.

The concept is particularly relevant to destinations where tourism is closely connected to local communities, natural resources, employment and economic development. Rather than viewing sustainability solely through the lens of reducing negative environmental impacts, net positive hospitality broadens the discussion to the contribution tourism can make to the communities and destinations where hotels and other tourism businesses operate.

Nemsitsveridze stressed that there is no time to delay action. The hospitality industry, she argued, needs greater awareness, but it also needs practical implementation capable of producing measurable outcomes.

The approach discussed at FHS 2026 is especially significant for emerging and developing tourism markets across the Caucasus and Central Asia, where tourism growth can provide economic opportunities while also creating pressure on destinations.

For these markets, net positive hospitality could provide a framework for ensuring that tourism expansion is connected to community development, skills, employment and destination resilience.

Verified Sustainability Data Transform Hospitality

One of the central issues raised during the interview was the growing importance of verified sustainability data in the hospitality sector. Nemsitsveridze explained that a common framework can help address the fragmented nature of sustainability reporting across hotels and hospitality businesses.

The challenge for the industry has often been that sustainability information can be measured and reported in different ways, making comparisons between businesses and destinations difficult. Without consistent standards and comparable key performance indicators, investors and other stakeholders may struggle to understand the real sustainability performance of individual hospitality businesses.

Nemsitsveridze said the emerging framework provides unified industry standards and universal sustainability KPIs. This can create a more consistent basis for hotels to measure and communicate their sustainability performance.

The significance extends beyond reporting. Better data can help hotel operators understand how their businesses are performing, where weaknesses exist and which areas offer opportunities for improvement.

It can also improve communication between hospitality companies and international investors. Investors increasingly need reliable information to assess business performance, risk and long-term sustainability. A more consistent reporting system can therefore help make sustainability data more useful for both hotel operators and the investment community.

Standardised Sustainability KPIs Help Hotels Attract Investment

Standardisation could become particularly important as international capital increasingly considers environmental, social and operational factors when assessing tourism and hospitality opportunities.

Nemsitsveridze described the move towards unified sustainability standards as good news for the hospitality sector because it reduces fragmentation in the way data is collected and understood. Instead of businesses relying on disconnected datasets, a common framework can create greater consistency across the industry.

For hotel owners and operators, this can offer a clearer picture of their business. They can identify areas where performance is strong, recognise weaknesses and establish priorities for improvement.

For investors, standardised and verifiable information can provide a more transparent basis for evaluating hospitality assets and destinations.

This connection between sustainability data and investment is becoming increasingly important as the tourism industry moves towards a model in which environmental and social performance is considered alongside conventional financial indicators.

For destinations in the Caucasus and Central Asia, stronger sustainability reporting could therefore support the development of tourism investment opportunities while encouraging hospitality businesses to improve their operational practices.

Net Positive Hospitality Give Back to Destinations

Nemsitsveridze described the destination-level impact of net positive hospitality as one of its most important characteristics. The approach seeks to ensure that hospitality businesses contribute more significantly to the communities and destinations that support tourism activity.

She summarised the principle by explaining that net positive hospitality is about “giving back to the destinations and communities twice more than you take out.”

This perspective places local communities at the centre of tourism development. Hotels do not operate in isolation; their success depends on destinations, employees, local businesses, cultural assets, infrastructure and natural resources.

A net positive approach therefore has the potential to connect hotel operations with broader destination development.

It also changes the way tourism growth can be viewed. Instead of asking only how many visitors a destination can accommodate or how much revenue tourism can generate, stakeholders can consider whether tourism is strengthening local communities, creating employment opportunities, developing skills and contributing to the long-term health of the destination.

For Georgia and other destinations across the Caucasus, this could become an important consideration as international tourism continues to develop.

People and Skills Critical to Georgia’s Tourism Strategy

Nemsitsveridze placed people at the heart of Georgia’s tourism development strategy, arguing that people are fundamental to the creation of tourism businesses, destinations and the wider industry.

She explained that tourism depends on people at multiple levels. Employees deliver hospitality services, entrepreneurs build tourism businesses, local communities shape destination experiences and skilled professionals contribute to the competitiveness of the industry.

This makes employability and skills development a critical component of sustainable tourism.

At FHS Dubai 2026, Nemsitsveridze highlighted a focus on employability skills in Georgia, with greater attention being placed on education and sustainable priorities.

The objective is not simply to increase the number of people working in tourism. It is to prepare the next generation with the skills needed to participate effectively in an evolving hospitality industry.

As sustainability becomes increasingly integrated into hotel operations, destination management and investment decisions, the workforce itself must also understand the principles and practical requirements associated with sustainable tourism.

Education can therefore become a long-term investment in destination competitiveness.

Education Build the Next Generation of Tourism Professionals

The development of future tourism professionals is closely connected with the programmes and educational initiatives supported by the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, according to Nemsitsveridze.

She highlighted the organisation’s educational programmes as an important resource for employees across different levels of the hospitality sector. Such programmes can help create greater awareness of sustainability while developing practical skills that can be applied in hospitality workplaces.

For Georgia, strengthening education and employability could have implications beyond individual careers. A more skilled tourism workforce can help businesses improve service quality, adopt sustainable practices and respond to changing international expectations.

It can also help destinations compete in a global tourism market where travellers are increasingly interested in responsible experiences and where investors are placing greater emphasis on sustainability performance.

The focus on people therefore complements the broader sustainability agenda. Environmental improvements and data frameworks are important, but their successful implementation ultimately depends on the people operating hotels, managing destinations and delivering tourism experiences.

What Tourism Investment Opportunities Is Georgia Prioritising?

Georgia’s tourism potential was another important theme during the FHS 2026 discussion, particularly in relation to sustainable investment.

Nemsitsveridze indicated that the focus is on people, education, employability and sustainable development rather than treating tourism investment purely as a question of infrastructure or hotel capacity.

This approach creates a broader investment narrative for Georgia. Hospitality investment can support employment, skills development and local economic activity while also contributing to destination development.

The country’s position within the wider Caucasus region also gives the discussion an international dimension. Greater cooperation between tourism organisations, hospitality companies, investors and sustainability-focused institutions could help create new opportunities across the region.

The interview suggested that investment and sustainability do not have to be competing priorities. Instead, stronger sustainability systems, better data and a more skilled workforce can help create a more resilient tourism industry capable of attracting responsible investment.

FHS 2026 Support Global Hospitality Collaboration

The discussion at FHS Dubai 2026 demonstrated the role international hospitality events can play in connecting destinations, investors and industry leaders around common challenges.

For Nemsitsveridze, the value of such gatherings lies partly in their ability to bring people together. Dubai provides an international setting where tourism and hospitality stakeholders can discuss sustainability, investment, partnerships and future development.

The emphasis on collaboration is particularly relevant because sustainability challenges do not stop at national borders. Climate pressures, resource efficiency, workforce development, investment standards and destination management all require cooperation between multiple stakeholders.

The discussions at FHS 2026 therefore reflect a wider transformation in the hospitality industry. Sustainability is increasingly moving from a secondary corporate initiative towards a core component of business strategy, investment and destination planning.

Georgia-Caucasus Vision Mean for the Future of Hospitality

Nemsitsveridze’s comments point towards a hospitality model in which sustainability, verified data, investment, education and community benefits are interconnected rather than treated as separate priorities.

The partnership between the Georgian Tourism Association and World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance provides an important foundation for this approach, particularly as the region seeks to strengthen sustainable tourism development.

The emphasis on net positive hospitality also suggests a shift in ambition. The objective is no longer limited to reducing the environmental footprint of tourism. Instead, the industry can seek to create measurable positive value for destinations and communities.

For Georgia and the wider Caucasus and Central Asia region, this could mean stronger attention to workforce development, sustainability measurement, investment transparency and community benefits.

At the same time, Dubai’s role as an international meeting point demonstrates the importance of global collaboration in advancing these objectives.

Positive Hospitality Redefine Tourism Development

The FHS Dubai 2026 interview with Teona Nemsitsveridze highlighted a clear message: sustainable hospitality needs collaboration, measurable data, skilled people and faster action. Her vision for Georgia and the wider Caucasus connects tourism investment with education, employability, community benefits and transparent sustainability performance.

The move towards net positive hospitality could represent an important evolution for the sector, particularly if businesses can demonstrate measurable benefits for destinations and communities. As Dubai continues to bring global tourism stakeholders together, conversations such as these are helping shape a hospitality industry focused not only on growth, but also on the lasting value tourism creates.