Marbella delegation visits Batumi, Georgia

Yolanda Galeras, José Luis Hernández, Natia Surguladze & Caroline Bowley

Headed up by local Tourism Councillor, José Luis Hernández, a delegation from Marbella was recently invited to Batumi, Georgia, on a cultural exchange. Marbella and the Black Sea resort have been twinned since 2010. In what was an unprecedented move by Batumi City Hall to strengthen ties with Marbella, the visit was coordinated by Natalie Stuart-Fox, the director of the Georgian Chamber of Commerce in Andalucía, and coincided with the 1st Inter-Art Batumi Festival held in conjunction with the IV Festival International de Arte Marbella, taking place on Batumi’s attractive seaside Boulevard.

At a press conference held in Batumi City Hall, Mrs. Natia Surguladze, Vice Mayor of Batumi, stated: “Batumi is twinned with many cities, but this visit is the next step in creating stronger links with Marbella”. She explained that Batumi is a gateway to trade and international tourism and is one of Georgia’s fastest-growing cities. Having visited Marbella in June 2012 – during the Festival International de Arte Marbella – Mrs Surguladze expressed her admiration for the resort which she says has a “special warmth and aura”, and went on to confirm her city’s intention to fully support the Inter-Art Batumi Festival as well as continuing to promote the exchange of cultural, tourism and business links with Marbella.

The Marbella delegation with the Vice Mayor of Batumi in Batumi City Hall

In addition to the town’s Tourism Councillor, other Marbella delegates visiting Batumi included Caroline Bowley, President of Festival Internacional de Arte Marbella; Loni Olfers and Joris Marjot, Directors of Red Penguin Art Gallery, who organised a ‘master class on contemporary art’; singers Hoffman and Yanela Brooks, who performed for dignitaries at several official receptions in Batumi; Yolanda Galeras, President of the Amigos de la Música Association; Prince Charles Tchkoutoua of Georgia; and PR professionals Gladys Osterwalder and Louise Cook Edwards of Media Machine.