Tegeta Motors is the largest automotive and mobility holding company in the Caucasus, headquartered in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The corporate group covers the areas of passenger cars, commercial vehicles, construction machinery, spare parts retail, leasing, and real estate development – operating primarily in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Central Asia.

Now Tegeta also aims to become a ski resort operator and is currently developing the Sairme Mountain Resort in central Georgia.

Three locations – one destination

In doing so, the company is pursuing an overarching vision for a sustainable, year-round mountain destination that assigns unique identities to the three villages of Old Sairme, New Sairme, and Lamazgora.

Old Sairme is set to develop into a forest wellness resort, complete with facilities for health and rejuvenation, natural spaces for rest and relaxation, and upscale accommodations in a quiet setting.

New Sairme, on the other hand, will become an active recreation center and mobility hub, where the cable car designed to open up the Lamazgora ski area will meet other public transit options.

In addition, New Sairme will serve as the starting point for a wide range of outdoor activities and offer relaxation in local thermal springs, with accommodations featuring a dynamic, modern interpretation.

Lamazgora, in turn, is positioned as a mountain destination with panoramic summit views, hosting the actual ski resort and year-round hiking trails. A 360-degree panoramic restaurant, additional dining venues, and exclusive, upscale accommodations will form the Lamazgora Mountain Village.

Ski Resort in five steps

The Lamazgora ski area is set to be developed in five phases. Starting in 2027, the construction of seven ropeways is planned, with 18 lifts ultimately operating on the mountain by the late 2030s. This corresponds to an increase in transport capacity from 10,000 to 24,500 people per hour.

The total slope length will gradually expand from 10.7 to 36.5 kilometers, representing a growth in slope area from 48 to 144 hectares. For snowmaking, three reservoir ponds with a total volume of 150,000 cubic meters will be constructed.

Furthermore, upon full expansion, project leaders are planning five restaurants with a seating capacity of 1,200. Through all these measures, the ski area‘s daily capacity is expected to rise from 3,057 to 7,375 skiers, which should also positively impact ticket sales.

Initially, Tegeta aims to sell 470,000 lift tickets, targeting one million tickets by the late 2030s.

Developer seeking suppliers

To implement the planned infrastructure, Tegeta relies on a wide variety of external companies. The project developers are looking for manufacturers for a 10-person gondola (4.5 km main route), 4-and 6-person chairlifts, surface lifts, and magic carpets (conveyor belts).

In addition, specialists in snowmaking are required to cover 28 kilometers of slopes, or 101 hectares of slope area. For this purpose, three reservoir ponds and two water intake points are planned, along with snow generators (snow cannons and lances), pumping systems, and automation software.

For grooming 36.4 kilometers of slopes, Tegeta plans a dedicated fleet of snowcats, some of which will be equipped with winches for steep terrain and a fleet management system for increased efficiency.

Digital systems are also high on the shopping list, including solutions for ticketing, turnstiles, RFID/NFC systems, resort management software, visitor analytics tools, and booking platforms.

Meanwhile, safety in the ski area will be ensured through a wide array of measures, including avalanche protection systems, safety netting and fencing, slope signage, information boards, and emergency response systems.

Last but not least, Tegeta is looking for experts in resort planning and consulting, covering alpine architecture, environmental impact assessments, ski resort operations, gastronomy concepts, and hotel and hospitality design.

Tegeta’s ultimate goal is to turn the master plan for the Sairme Mountain Resort into Georgia‘s leading mountain destination.