Hello,

I am Archil Kereselidze, hailing from the beautiful region of Georgia - Racha. Specifically, I come from the village of Sadmeli in Ambrolauri Municipality. While my profession is in economics, my work centres around the hospitality, viticulture, and winemaking sectors. My family is the proud owner of a guesthouse in Sadmeli and a small vineyard. We delight our guests with our homemade wine. We always strive to enhance our services and be the best hosts as our traditions demand. To achieve this, we seek fresh opportunities, whether it's acquiring modern skills or other types of support, which, fortunately, exist and are available in our country. 

My son and daughter-in-law discovered the GRETA project, a collaborative initiative of the European Union, Sweden, and Austria, through the Internet and shared it with us. They live abroad but keep a close eye on current events in the region. On the other hand, my wife and I reside here and always strive to listen to their diverse ideas, dedicating ourselves as much as possible to fulfilling them.

We initiated our endeavours quite some time ago, and learning about the GRETA project marked a turning point in our activities. The support we received from this project breathed new life into our small business. Upon winning the grant program, we received hotel and restaurant equipment. Initially, we struggled to carry out the work with our limited resources. Still, now, our small activity has evolved into a well-established small business, moving us into the next development phase.

Our hotel and restaurant have had a notable reputation extending beyond Racha for a long time. Our continued challenge was the time it took to prepare for guests due to the need for appropriate operational equipment. Today, with donors' support, we increased hosting capacity, and our workload has grown, prompting us to improve our services and rework the internal infrastructure for better organisation.

From my observation, progress isn't in our activity alone. In our region, people we know have seen that starting a successful business is possible. We've become an inspiration for numerous aspiring entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the local authorities recognised the surge in tourist interest and flow, leading to road rehabilitation with their support. The region has certainly come alive, instilling better encouragement and hope among its residents.

I want to emphasise that initiatives like the GRETA project provide unparalleled opportunities for entrepreneurs like myself to obtain crucial support and share successful international experiences. These initiatives play a vital role in empowering entrepreneurs and fostering growth.

Regarding the plans for our business, expansion is definitely on the horizon. I've already initiated the construction of two buildings that will house a family hotel with ten rooms. Additionally, we aspire to establish an ethnic hotel within an old Racha wooden house, which will captivate guests with its authentic charm. In viticulture and agriculture, we aim to introduce more environmentally friendly products to supply our restaurant.

We are ready and eager to establish new business connections to realise our plans. You can easily reach us through our social media page at the following link: Sad Meli Winery • სად მელის მარანი

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With the support of the European Union, Sweden and Austria, 68 small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in the highland region of Georgia have received substantial assistance for their business development.

Take advantage of the upcoming success stories, where incredibly fascinating people will share their experiences with us.

Project GRETA | “Green Economy: Sustainable Mountain Tourism and Organic Agriculture” is implemented by the Austria Development Agency in Georgia with the support of the European Union, Austria, and Sweden. The project aims to improve the business environment and create new income opportunities in two important sectors of the Georgian economy, mountain tourism and organic agriculture.

This material has been produced with the assistance of the European Union, Sweden, and Austria within the framework of the GRETA project.  Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Austrian Development Agency /GRETA Project and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union, Sweden, or Austri

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