By Helena Bedwell

Georgia’s tourism industry may grow to as much as 11 percent of economic production over the next few years, from 5 percent in 2011, said Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Vera Kobalia.

“Tourism is growing fast, but we must not be dependent just on it,” Kobalia said in an interview today after appearing at a transportation conference in Tbilisi, the capital. “Agriculture and transit routes are also important.”

Georgia will attract as many as 3 million visitors this year, up from 2 million in 2010, Kobalia said in April. That would be the highest figure since 2003, when President Mikheil Saakashvili came to power in the so-called Rose Revolution.

The economy expanded 6.4 percent last year to $11.7 billion, according to the statistics office.

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