Business news

MINSK, 5 October (BelTA) – Belarus is determined to increase revenue from inbound tourism up to $250 million by 2020. The task was set out in Council of Ministers’ Resolution No. 709 as of 2 October 2018 that introduces amendments to the Welcome To Belarus state program set to run till 2020, BelTA has learned.

Consolidated targets for the export of tourism services were revised upwards, from $163.9 million to $208 million in 2018, from $171.8 million to $240 million in 2019 and from $180.9 million to $250 million in 2020.

BelTA reported earlier that Belarus' export of tourism services made up $126.1 million in January-July 2018, up 17.5% from the same period a year ago. The Sport and Tourism Ministry and travel agencies forecast that by the end of 2018 the market of tourism services will show growth against 2016 and 2017. The forecast takes into account efforts to liberalize visa procedures, expand visa-free zones in Grodno Oblast and Brest Oblast, and intensify marketing events.