Considering a trip to Georgia (the country), wanted to look up some info on Tripadvisor, and was surprised to find 3 top threads with many people complaining that Georgians are rude, unfriendly, and aggressive.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForu...3-Georgia.html
I've never seen threads like that in any country's forum. All the more surprising as I grew up in former USSR, and Georgians' stereotype was extremely hospitable, very friendly, and obsessed with sex

Over the years I've learned not to put too much faith in TA posts and reviews, but this was unexpected.
If you have traveled to Georgia, have you found locals to be especially unfriendly?

Might say more about the people who post such things than about Georgians themselves. Georgians are proud people and don't take lightly to disrespectful/rude tourists visiting who think they own the place. Looking at the first Tripadvisor topic about it, it's a dude complaining he got bad service in restaurants etc while visiting with 32 (!!) people. Maybe he has some genuine complaints, who knows, although there could be another side of the coin there which he conveniently left out. Eg, many groups of Turkish/Arab males visit Georgia looking for prostitutes/alcohol in places like Batumi - something which is not particularly liked by some of the locals who for years were used to more mundane forms of tourism by families from all over the former USSR.

I anyway find Tripadvisor a particularly bad source for such things given the huge amount of unreliable reviews/posts, many of people with just 1-5 posts to their name - another sign that you might have to take such things with a pinch of salt.

Georgians are wonderful, hospitable people. If you find yourself lucky enough to acquaint a few of them and get invited to their homes for a meal/feast you are in for a real treat! Learning a few words of Georgian will often break the ice (gamarjoba/madloba for hello/thanks for example). Russian is certainly useful too (everyone speaks it) and might be easier to grasp for many. Service standards and tourist infrastructure are improving, although in the provinces you might still encounter a bit of the old "Soviet" mentality and cold stares. That doesn't mean unfriendliness, it's just the way how it is in many countries in the region (and it's anyway the outside, on the inside - such people are often warm/friendly).

As for the police being scammers/unhelpful I don't believe it either. Since former president Saakashvili sacked the entire police force and replaced the old corrupt officers with Soviet mentality with new people, it hugely improved. Even old police stations were razed to the ground and replaced by glass buildings to signal transparency and openness. I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's certainly not what some people on Tripadvisor make of it.

The only Tripadvisor complaint which I would say is partially true is that Georgian men can be loud/aggressive when drunk. Rowdy bars, especially in the provinces, are therefore best to be avoided for the unacquainted/faint of heart. That said, I don't see how that is actually any different from some US watering holes

Absolute horse manure. Even the surliest, most serious Georgian has been nothing but friendly, open and warm in either visit of that marvelous country I've made. It sure helps to be appreciative of where you are, not to be a bad guest and, after all, remember that it's not an especially rich country. Bonus points if you proclaim your love for their cuisine and Borjomi water (both awesome).

I had a great time in Georgia. Two days in the middle of winter a couple years ago in Tbilisi. People were friendly, easy place to walk around. I'd definitely go back.

I think some travellers (especially Americans) confuse 'always smiling' and 'friendly/helpful/hospitable'. The two are not the same.

Thanks for your replies. I was very surprised to read the TA posts - 30 years ago, Georgians were famous for their hospitality and friendliness. I couldn't believe so much could have changed so quickly.
[MENTION=72375]Palal[/MENTION] - the two are not the same. But a friendly smile goes a long way in making a stranger feel more at ease.

Smiling works differently in different cultures. In France, for example, children are raised to wait until a social connection has been established before they smile. French people often say that someone walking down the street alone with a big smile on their face looks like an idiot to them. Not understanding this can make French people seem unfriendly to Americans and others from cultures where smiling is encouraged at all times.

I remember finding Barcelonans cold and abrupt when I arrived there after a week in France. A simple "�Hola!" was an appropriate greeting. It felt rude at first, compared to the relatively elaborate greetings I'd grown accustomed to in Paris.

French people who haven't learned the cultural difference find American shop clerks extremely rude for failing to greet them and say goodbye. It really pays to learn this stuff before you arrive in a place with a different culture.

As ajGoes mentioned above, it works differently in different cultures. As another couple of examples: in Eastern Europe you won't get any smiles unless they're genuine. The norm is an unemotional face, but if you see a smile - it's genuine.
In Japan - a smile is an indication that the person smiling is nervous/not at ease.
In middle eastern cultures, people will smile right and left at you but these smiles will not be genuine and you will never know what the person is thinking. (Just think of a shopkeeper at a souk/bazaar smiling before he cleans you out during your negotiation with him).

When a traveller throws his/her American standards onto every culture they visit - it just goes to show how culturally insensitive they are

Next thread: Is National Lampoon's European Vacation an accurate portrayal of European cultural mores?

Stumbled onto my own old thread Totally forgot about it.

We just got back from the Caucusus a week ago. Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia. We've found the locals very friendly in all places, as is generally the case anywhere in the world we go (with some notable exceptions).
We did befriend a number of local people and found them to be as warm and hospitable as we expected.

But here is an interesting addition.
As we were checking into our AirBnB in Tbilisi, the host immediately recognized we were from the US - even though we speak fluent Russian (born in USSR, moved to US as teenagers 35 yrs ago). This was literally within seconds of meeting us. We asked what gave it away - he said that after hosting for so many years, it was easy. It was our body language, apparently. He said Westerners are much more open, give off much more positive vibes, whereas his Russian, Ukrainian, and Georgian guests are much more tight, more suspicious, and far less friendly.
Just repeating what I was told by someone who deals with people from all over the world on a daily basis

I agree with your AirBNB host. I'm in the same boat as you, and I tend to hide my identity a bit better as I lived in Western Europe for an extended period.
I can also spot the difference easily between ABC/CBCs and Chinese who grew up/lived in China.

I'd say a lot of it is facial expressions more so than just the body language.

By the brand of cigarette?

We were in Georgia and Armenia pre-COVID and had a wonderful experience. It was our second time in Armenia and first in Georgia. We found the people in both countries very kind, helpful and friendly. The Georgians were warm and we felt welcomed. Several of the people we encountered in Georgia seemed intrigued that we had chosen to visit their country. Like a lot of folks in countries we have visited around the world, they were interested in Westerners' perceptions of their nation and the reasons that a Westerner would make the long journey to get to the region.

I have to say, my only experience with Georgians being unfriendly actually happened to be in the Rooms hotel in Kazbegi
I stood at the reception at 8.30AM for 15 minutes, hoping to check out, but there was no one there. I rang the bell a few times to try to get someone's attention, and a surly bellman did act all 'butthurt and salty", telling me I had to wait. The rest of the staff was friendly but not very competent, and not eager to correct their mistakes.
No big deal and no harm done, but it's funny that the only post on this thread complaining about Georgia happens to be about the same hotel

Interestingly, our guide told us Georgians' famous "hospitality" can actually translate into bad "service". Georgians will treat you as an honored GUEST - but that's not always a good thing , as you are expected to behave as a guest as well and try not to inconvenience your host. Which is not always good if you are a CLIENT.