Ethno Village "Mokvare”

Guesthouse "Mokvare" is visited by tourists from all parts of the worlds to study the Georgian and namely, Merisi folklore. Founders of "Mokvare" are distinguished for cordial hospitality and sincerity. Jemal Turmanidze has been performing Merisi folklore since childhood. This family has a very longstanding history in folklore. Availability of voices of ancestors recorded three generations ago became the reason for creation of "Mokvare". The Turmanidze family and ensemble "Mokvare" became popular by these records and the concert held at the Large Hall of Conservatoire. After that, the guesthouse "Mokvare" was established upon request and with the support of society.

Marketing approach

Unique nature of "Mokvare" is predetermined by the unity of Adjarian Mountains, waterfall and forest. Natural honey, vodka, jam, wine and Mrs. Manana’s workshop on Adjarian dishes create a unique atmosphere. A local folkloric group, two drivers for transportation of visitors and two local cook assistants are employed here.

Internet is actively used to increase recognition. It is now possible to share the secret recipes of Mrs. Manana’s Adjarian dishes by means of video recipes. However, actual attendance has another advantage – the different method of making Adjarian cheese is rather tangible and it is possible to taste Sinori, Borano and other popular dishes onsite.

The Turmanidze family hosts large tourist groups. In this regard, they cooperate with foreign and local organizations. They are presented on market by means of travel companies, social media and other info tourist webpages. Before the pandemic, their main segment was foreign organized (group) tourists, but now they are considering to create offers to the local market too and tailor the resources to the local requirements.

At this stage, they need to acquire competencies required for digital branding to present successfully their business on the Internet. They are willing to publish their offers on more platforms.

Success factors and challenges

Before the pandemic, a large number of tourists preconditioned success of business.  The visitors were familiarized with folklore and Georgian traditions, were offered local, healthy rural products to taste, were taken to the vineyard, vegetable gardens etc. which positively influenced formation of confidence in the offer. In the opinion of the host, key to success is stirring emotions among visitors, their engagement in the process and original form of transfer of narration.

Plans for the future development

At this stage, the family plans to increase the number of hotel rooms and improve the guesthouse infrastructure, as well as use solar panels.

Source of the images: https://www.facebook.com/Mokvare/