Open entrance days

Over 130 enterprises and organisations in Belarus take a comprehensive approach to promote industrial tourism

About six million tourists visited Belarus last year. Foreign guests from 150 countries came to our country for new impressions, industrial enterprises being one of the most popular travel destinations. Assembling a tractor with your own hands, immersing yourself in the world of high-precision clock mechanisms, trying yourself as a dump truck driver — these and more opportunities are provided by industrial tourism, which has been gaining momentum in Belarus in recent years. Thus, in 2023, more than 200,000 people visited the country’s enterprises, which is one third more than a year earlier. One of them is the Kommunarka confectionery factory. The MT correspondent has also walked through the factory workshops and talked with specialists about the development prospects of industrial tourism.

Minsk Tractor Works [MTZ trademark]       Aleksandr Kushner

Everything will be chocolate

You can feel the world of sweets right at the factory doors — the mouth-watering aroma of chocolate has permeated the entire production building. The tour begins with a visit to the tasting room, where tourists can try the latest novelties. Then guests are invited to the conference room to get an insight into the history of the company. A curious fact from the promo video is that the factory, which was established back in 1905, changed its name four times before it acquired a well-known brand in 1929. “The main raw materials for the production of chocolate and chocolate products are cocoa beans, imported to Belarus from Africa,” revealed the guide, Yelena Fyodorova. “We produce about 350 types of products. The assortment is updated annually, with about 25 newly developed products. In total, we supply products to 25 countries around the world. Nearly 20 tonnes of cocoa beans are processed per day. Last year, we sold more than 30,000 tonnes of products. In order to ensure such output, continuous production has been established — 24/7, seven days a week. However, the capacity of our factory is no longer enough; therefore, a new production site has been under construction since 2023,” noted Yelena on the way to the workshop waffle line. “We have about 1,500 employees, the majority of whom are women — 80 percent.”
A nice bonus at the end of the tour is delicious gifts prepared especially for the guests.
“I will definitely come here again, with my son. He has a sweet tooth, so he will surely like it here,” Marina Prokofieva, a participant in the tour, shared her emotions. “I was impressed by the production itself. I have only positive emotions!” 
Another participant, Yelena Kiselyova, came to Belarus from Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. “I decided to spend my vacation in Belarus. Many Russians come here for impressions. Belarusian chocolate is very popular in Russia, so it was my dream to see the production. After all, who in their childhood did not dream of seeing how sweets, chocolate, and cocoa powder are made?” said Yelena, smiling. “I will have something to tell my family and friends when I get home!”
The factory launched industrial tourism in 2015. Today, it is not so easy to get to the enterprise — tours are scheduled for six months in advance. Since the beginning of the year, the factory has welcomed over 15,000 visitors. Overall, ten enterprises of Belgospishcheprom [Belarusian state food industry concern] offer industrial tour programmes.

Routes of vivid impressions

As noted by Belarus’ Deputy Minister of Industry Andrei Kuznetsov, our country is actively engaged in systematic efforts at the state level to develop industrial tourism, “In August 2023, the Ministry of Sports and Tourism established a list of tourism types, their definitions, and a unified classification system for tourism in Belarus. Industrial tourism is included in this list.” 
Today, more than 130 enterprises and organisations in the country take a comprehensive approach to promote this direction. They have a solid foundation, established practices, and the motivation to develop industrial tourism further.

Among the enterprises of the Industry Ministry, BELAZ, MTZ, and MAZ have once again emerged as the top three leaders this year, as they did last year.

“From January to May 2024, the number of industrial tourists at BELAZ increased by nearly a quarter, amounting to around 20,100 individuals. MTZ welcomed about 16,000 tourists, marking a 16.5 percent increase, while the number of visitors to MAZ grew by almost 1.5 times, reaching 4,500 tourists,” reported Andrei Kuznetsov. “The growing interest from the public in industrial tours is driven by several factors,” reflected the Deputy Minister of Industry. “Firstly, the enterprises themselves are actively developing this direction, showcasing modern production processes and enhancing the prestige of industrial professions. They are implementing new services, raising awareness of existing tour products, and improving the quality of tourist services.”
Moreover, the promotion of services has been bolstered by the industrial tourism month held at enterprises across the country in March this year, during which various initiatives and events were organised for visitors. An international educational seminar Industrial Tourism as a Brand and Strategy took place, with around 200 representatives from the tourism industry and enterprises attending.
According to Andrei Kuznetsov, schoolchildren and students seeking to determine their future professions also become industrial tourists. Domestic enterprises offer them interesting tours to visit production facilities. “The development of industrial tourism not only promotes industrial enterprises and their products but also attracts talent to the industry, creates industrial tourism infrastructure, and, consequently, enhances the contribution to the country’s economy,” concluded the Deputy Minister of Industry.

Students of gymnasium No.56 Polina Shcherbakova and Yana Khomchenko visiting Gomselmash — Belarusian manufacturer of
agricultural machinery based in Gomel       Tata Kaverina 
During a tour around BELAZ JSC — Management Company of BELAZ-HOLDING, Zhodino, Minsk Region    Yegor Yermalitskiy

FACT

In Belarus, the Neman Glassworks became a pioneer in the field of industrial tourism — it opened its doors to tourists in 1980. Industrial tourism has been actively developing since 2010, when industrial giants BELAZ and MTZ opened their workshops for tourists.

MEANWHILE

The Minsk Tractor Works’ press service said that this year Irwin van Gasteren and Jim ze Hennep became the first tourists from the Netherlands to visit MTZ, taking advantage of visa-free entry, exit and stay in Belarus. A tour of the museum and a ride on a BELARUS tractor made a strong impression on them. Upon arrival home, the tourists intend to recommend Belarus to friends and family as an interesting country for tourists, and Minsk Tractor Works as a must-visit location. The Netherlands became the 31st country on the list of states whose citizens visited MTZ in 2024.

TO THE POINT

Services for tourists are provided by 12 holdings of the Industry Ministry, as well as by subsidiaries that are part of the holdings. This direction is actively promoted by enterprises of Belgospishcheprom, Bellegprom [Belarusian light industry concern], as well as by organisations of the Ministry of Architecture and Construction.

WORD FROM THE EXPERT

According to Dmitry Golubnichy, analyst at the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Research (BISR), “Industry is the calling card and a source of national pride for Belarus. Public opinion reflects industrial tourism as a promising sector. Sociological research conducted within the framework of the BISR project Pulse of Society indicates that the development of industrial tourism in Belarus will contribute to the ‘formation of a brand and loyalty towards manufactured products’ (68 percent of respondents), ‘will attract motivated youth to the industry’ (54 percent), as well as ‘will foster patriotic consciousness among citizens’ (46 percent). When asked what the primary brand of Belarus is, many respondents emphasised industry (70 percent). Industrial tourism also holds significant importance for the Union State, as it allows demonstrating, through concrete examples, successful integration and co-operation, including the remarkable legacy of the Soviet era.”

By Tatiana Semenkova