Press releases

GRODNO, 20 March (BelTA) – The Belarusian city of Grodno welcomed a record-breaking number of tourists two weekends in a row, Tatiana Lidyayeva, deputy head of the sports and tourism division of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee, told BelTA.

More than 600 visa-exempt tourists visited Grodno over the past weekend. This is a record-high figure since the launch of visa-free travel to Grodno and its surroundings.

“There has been an increase in tourist numbers since the beginning of spring. Over the past two Saturdays, some 350 to 400 foreign nationals traveling independently or with a tourist group took advantage of the visa-free travel option,” Tatiana Lidyayeva said. She emphasized that since late October 2016, Grodno and its surroundings have welcomed over 5,800 visa-free tourists. The majority of them were Lithuanians. Tours to Grodno are also popular with the Poles, Latvians and Germans. All in all, citizens of 32 countries have already visited Grodno visa-free.

“Grodno is becoming a popular destination for Lithuanian tourists. Lithuanian travel agencies show a growing interest. We are busy organizing a promotional tour around Grodno and its surroundings for Lithuanian travel agencies and guides. The tour will take place on 25 and 26 March,” Tatiana Lidyayeva noted. The program of the tour includes visits to the city’s museums, from the largest to the smallest ones, and other important tourist attractions. Plans have been made to hold similar tours of Grodno, Grodno District, the Augustow Canal and its surroundings for foreign travel agencies before the beginning of the tourist season.

Decree No. 318 of the Belarusian head of state on the introduction of visa-free travel to the Augustow Canal for foreigners came into force on 26 October. The document permits foreign nationals to stay on the territory of the park and its surroundings for a period of up to five days.