Rest at its best

Belarus’ Ministry of Sports and Tourism has shared the initial results of the expanded visa-free regime and the investment potential of the industry

The high season in domestic tourism has passed at the appropriate level — this is perhaps the most succinct way to characterise the period from May to September, when the demand for leisure activities in the country traditionally increases among both Belarusians and foreigners. Consequently, there is a growing economic benefit for the state while citizens are increasingly discovering their homeland, finding opportunities for rest and recovery. The President has repeatedly emphasised the necessity of such a trend. What destinations and sites were at the peak of popularity? What new trends have experts noticed? Irina Voronovich, Director of Tourism Department at Belarus’ Ministry of Sports and Tourism, has spoken about this and much more.

Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park, Kamenets District, Brest Region          Aleksandr Kulevsky 

Summer was hot

— How would you characterise the summer season in the industry?
— Undoubtedly, it has pleasantly surprised us. We see that interest in domestic tourism among Belarusians remains strong, and the flow of foreign guests is increasing. Hotel operators in Minsk, regional centres, and major cities, representatives of popular attractions in the country, national parks, farmsteads, and sanatoriums report high occupancy rates. On our part, we focused on leisure options during the third national tourist campaign Travel! Experience! Get inspired! Let me remind everyone that this year, it started at the beginning of June and lasted for a week. More than 1,200 sites opened their doors for tourists, welcoming over 61,400 guests.
We have noticed that camping, kayaking trips, and biking tours are in high demand during the summer season — our climate is favourable for these activities. Therefore, we frequently provided suggestions for active leisure points and routes through the Telegram channel of the National Tourism Agency. In particular, in 2024, each month is dedicated to a specific type of tourism. July was dedicated to active tourism, with each week focused on a particular direction — kayaking, hiking, and biking tours.
We have noted an increased interest in expanding the number of camping sites. This format of outdoor leisure — camping in nature — has remained popular for the past three years, not only among the older generation but also among youth and families with children. The desire to minimise environmental damage caused by those unfamiliar with the nuances of choosing camping spots has also prompted infrastructure development in designated areas. Furthermore, due to the abnormal heat in summer, many regions in the country had bans and restrictions on forest visits, automatically reducing the number of locations available for leisure, forcing some trips to be cut short. Incidentally, according to available information, there were 50 camping sites in Belarus last year: four in Brest Region, 18 in Vitebsk Region, three in Grodno Region, 21 in Minsk Region, three in Mogilev Region, and one in Minsk.
Moreover, wellness retreats in sanatoriums traditionally rank high in demand — the accommodations are quickly booked out for the autumn-winter season, alongside stays at agro-ecological farmsteads and visits to eco-trails.

— Could you tell us who travels around the country most frequently?
— I can say that domestic tourism is becoming younger. Active citizens with increasing frequency embark on trips, often in their own cars, with their families or friends. As a rule, they plan their routes independently. Fortunately, information is readily available online, including on the websites of local executive committees and the National Tourism Agency. Additionally, the website belarus.travel provides information about the country’s tourism potential. It also includes a route planner that creates itineraries and suggests sites to visit along the way, as well as places to eat and stay overnight.
Furthermore, there is a developing network of tourist information centres to assist all travellers. They aim to offer options for leisure activities based on tourists’ interests and duration of stay, as well as to help organise their trips.
We have noticed that today, organised tourism accounts for only 7-8 percent of the total tourist flow. Fifteen years ago, it was the opposite: individual tourists made up 7-8 percent of the overall tourist traffic. The pandemic has reshaped this structure, creating numerous ways to plan trips without leaving home. Additionally, we should not overlook the fact that in other countries, organised tourism prevails partly due to safety concerns and complications in arranging independent travel due to various reasons whereas Belarus does not have such a problem. Both locals and foreigners know that, if necessary, they can always ask local residents for tips or assistance.

Church of the Holy Trinity in Gervyaty, Grodno Region               Daria Titova 

Guests are welcome here

— What intermediate results has inbound tourism shown?
— The number of visits to our country and amounts of money that tourists spend here are growing. Thus, from January to July of this year, the export of tourism services increased by 27 percent compared to the first seven months of 2023. The primary country for exporting tourism services of the Republic of Belarus from January to July was Russia, contributing 28 percent more than in the same period last year. Türkiye came in second, with a growth of 16 percent. China takes third place, showing a 28 percent increase compared to 2023. Following are Latvia, the UAE, Azerbaijan, the UK, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Poland. We understand that the export of tourism services only accounts for a portion of guests’ spending. According to the ‘Trips’ category, which more broadly assesses tourist expenses, the export of tourism services amounted to $606 million last year. Over the past seven months of this year, we have seen a 24 percent increase. 
At the same time, we see that Uzbekistan, for example, has moved from 10th to 8th place in the ‘narrow’ export of tourism services compared to last year. There are prospects for further growth.
 
— Since 2022, a visa-free regime has been in place for Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland, and on July 19th, the visa waiver was expanded to include 35 more EU countries. Has the tourism industry felt the first changes?
— We have been working under this regulation for only two months, and according to Belarus’ State Border Committee, over 5,900 foreigners from the expanded visa-free countries list have visited our country during this time. Many tourists are coming from Germany, Estonia, Italy, the United Kingdom, and France. Where are they headed? Primarily to our health resorts and medical institutions. Shopping tours are popular — there are plenty of tips on the Internet about what products, clothes, and footwear to bring back, what cafes and restaurants to visit, and what sights to see. Many come to us to enjoy peace and tranquillity, to relax, recharge, and explore what they have not seen before. Eco-tourism is in demand, along with hunting tourism, particularly photo hunting during bird migration season, agro-ecotourism, and gastronomic tourism.
The policy of openness and peace pursued in Belarus will undoubtedly contribute to forming a positive image of our country, reflecting on the economy of the regions and aiding in the creation of new jobs. Investors pay attention to where foreigners are going and what our citizens are interested in, assessing prospects and being more willing to invest their money in the construction or modernisation of hotels, cafes, museums, and manors. We see that tourist flows are now going deep into the country — and this trend is only expected to grow.

FOR REFERENCE 

The export of tourism services in 2023 amounted to $206.7 million — 16 percent more compared to 2022.

BY THE WAY

The number of organised tourists and excursionists — citizens of Belarus participating in tours within the country in 2023 — was over 1.75 million, which is almost 15 percent more compared to the previous year. The cost of tours for domestic tourism paid for by tourists and excursionists last year exceeded Br96.47 million marking a 35.4 percent increase compared to 2022.

Mir Castle interior                              BELTA

By Maria Druk