2009
In May WISG organised of APG presentation in Al. Dumas’ French Cultural Centre with support of French embassy in Georgia.
In August “WISG” organized a summer camp in Borjomi region, village Tsemi with the help of invited French animators.
2008
In January WISG started work on realization of the pilot project – Commercialization of the artisan production in Adjara Region – with the financial support of CHF. In the process of implementation was involved also Adjara AR Department of Tourism and resorts.
April-May – Preparation of informational materials concerning Agrotouristical Network in Georgia (Postcards, Map etc.)
April–May – Before ending of the project, WISG began implementation of the same project in Samtskhe-Javakheti Region.
In May WISG organised of APG presentation in Al. Dumas’ French Cultural Centre with support of French embassy in Georgia.
July-August – Organizing of musical stage (Georgian traditional polyphonic music) for choral from Marsel and Lyon (30 persons) with partnership Radio France Culture and Georgian Agrotouristical Network (APG).
October – December – Documentary film about Georgian wine “L’orgueil du Rouge” for TV ARTE.
2007
In January WISG Behaves as a facilitators of the workshop “Development of Adjara Region Tourism evolution strategy”. The workshop was organized by GTZ, and was focussed to start the process to work out strategy of the tourism department of Adjara region.
In August with the mutual effort of the department of Luar countries of France, “WISG” a summer camp was organized in Adjara region, village Didadjara with the help of invited French animators. In the project participated 4 new host families from Adjara mountain Region.
In November in France, WISG organized one week Action (meetings, photo-exhibitions, Films etc) “Rural Women – Georgia/France”. In action have taken part photographer Irina Abjandadze, filmmaker Liana Jaqueli (NGO “Studio Mobile – Accent on Action” – focusing its work on rural women) and two Georgian NGO representatives (NGO “Women and World” – Bolnisi (Kvemo Kartli Region), and Union “Kedeli”, Therapy Center for Socially Vulnerable People – Sighnaghi (Kakheti Region)). During this action, Georgian participants had opportunity to meet French rural women holding small enterprises.
2006
In March-April 2006 on the EU-BAS-Georgia initiative, WISG implemented the project “Rural tourism development in Adjara region”, with a view to select host families in the Adjara coastal region, to train them and to create local networks of such enterprises.
In April three women, members of Georgian Agrotouristical Network were sent on assignment in France for the knowledge exchange in the similar structures of the “Accueil Paysan”. In Vandee they met also the rural women that hold small-scale enterprises.
In June WISG work to enlargement AP in Kakheti region: to find and select new host families (Signagi, Lagodekhi, Mskhalgori, Matani, Alvani, Gurdjaani).
In August with the mutual effort of the department of Luar countries of France, “WISG” and one of the host families a summer camp was organized in Adjara region, village Makhinjauri with the help of invited French animators.
In October, with the support of Georgian-French “Partnership for sustainable development in Georgia” WISG organized training for Georgian Agrotouristical Network members in Adjara Region (village Makhinjauri);
In November with assistance of French partner (GR-15) WISG organized trainings for potential and resources of host families in Adjara (Batumi) and in Qvemo Kartli (Dmanisi);
2005
In March with the help of the Ministry of Sport, Culture and Monument Protection and the department of Luar countries of France another project was implemented: “Valorisation of Cultural and National Heritage Through Agro-tourism.” The project envisaged to organize the visit of French expert in Georgia, having working meetings with the employees of the Ministry of Sport, Economic Service of the city municipality, students and lecturers of the Tbilisi State Academy of Art, faculty of restoration. It also envisaged familiarization with the methodology of diagnosing in advance the site chosen by the ministry.
In April the visit of wine producers of partnership members was organized in Georgia to evaluate the perspectives of gastronomic tourism.
In August with the mutual effort of the department of Luar countries of France, “WISG” and one of the host families a summer camp was organized in Ozurgeti region, village Bokhvauri with the help of invited French animators.
In October two youngsters were chosen through the competition and sent to France for the internship: BAFA animation courses (3 months) and the house of local development (6 months).
In November through the help of the government of the department of Luar countries of France and the cultural centre of France one-week training courses were held for the formators: “Project Design and Accompanying for the Persons Interested in Agro-tourism”. The training was led by the member of the Georgian-French Partnership who represented the association GR15 (the group of local tourism research).
In November in village Matani of Akhmeta Region the training was held in one of the host families which envisaged familiarization of Georgian families with the French “Peasant Hosts” structure and functioning.
In November the members of the initiative group decided to form a separate structure of “Peasants as Hosts in Georgia” which would take care of different organizational matters, mechanisms of working out and awarding standards, etc.
2004
In 2004 for the purposes of non-suspension of exchange programs and experience sharing Georgian and French parties involved in agro-tourism decided to expand relations and establish a multi-theme union “Partnership for sustainable development”. The members of union are: WISG – Women Initiatives Supporting Group, Georgia, Tbilisi (Coordinator for the establishment of agro-tourism network in Georgia and its development); Accueil Paysan – International Agro-tourist association “Hosting of peasants”, Vandee Department, France; La Maison de la Vie Rurale – local sustainable development house, France, Vande (planning to organize the meeting of Georgian and French peasants under the aegis of the annual festival “Community Culture and Economy”, which will be held in summer 2005); GR15 – organization for local development and research. Vandee department, France; LPO – French National Ornithological Association, France, Vandee Department, which is interested in close cooperation with Georgia and exchange programs.
In August with the support of “EU BAS program in Georgia” with the view of expanding the agro-tourist service and fully utilize the potential and resources of host families one more project was implemented – “Ateier d’echange de savoirs” (knowledge exchange workshops) model variant organization in one of the host families.
In September one more stage of the exchange program was implemented – the WISG members visited France on the basis of the invitation from “Accueil Paysan”. The group members got familiarized with separate activities of members of agro-tourism association of France, structural schemes and models of different community economies with the purpose of their future adaptation and elaboration in Georgia.
On October with the support of the “EU-BAS program in Georgia” a joint Georgian-French conference “Agro-tourism for Sustainable Development” was held in Tbilisi, which was dedicated to the perspectives of the development of agro-tourism and community economies is Georgia (As one of the important supporting factors of sustainable development).
2002-2003
Since 1999 our organization has been cooperating with the agro-tourism association “Accueil Paysan”. In 2002 we became members of this association that enabled us to place the information about Georgian families searched by us in the annual catalogue of this organization and its electronic version. In 2002 through the assistance of IREX, based on the information obtained and accordingly elaborated by us, a bilingual (French-Georgian) website was prepared (http://agrotourism.iatp.org.ge). The website contains information on the regions of Georgia (short historical overview, data on the agrarian and natural conditions of the region, tourist routes existing nearby and sightseeing) and brief information on host families.
In August-September of 2003 through the help of the EU BAS Georgian office we invited expert-consultants from the agro-tourist association of France “Accueil Paysan” which evaluated the work carried out by us and prepared a package of recommendations. Furthermore, the invited consultant conducted trainings for the network members as well as host families.
2001
In 2001 our organization with its own means actively started to look for such families in different regions of Georgia which met the necessary requirements for the development of agro-tourist business.
