Press releases

MINSK, 4 April (BelTA) – The interest of foreign tourists in Belarus grows every year, Belarusian Sports and Tourism Minister Sergei Kovalchuk told journalists at the international fair of tourism services Leisure 2018 on 4 April, BelTA has learned.

“I think that Belarus has plenty of potential for tourism development. If we organize everything in a proper way, we will achieve the necessary results we need,” Sergei Kovalchuk said. In his words, he has been to some forty countries, and Belarus has all the opportunities to fully use its tourism potential. The tourism industry has already begun generating good money for the Belarusian economy.

The launch of a five-day visa-free program for the tourists arriving in Belarus via the Minsk National Airport has paid off, Sergei Kovalchuk believes. As for the extension of this period to ten days, this decision goes beyond the competence of the Sports and Tourism Ministry, he added. However, the tourism industry expects that the period of visa-free stay will be extended.

Belarus intends to increase two-way tourist traffic with China in 2018. The two countries have an interest in this, the minister underlined.

The fair of tourism services Leisure 2018 has brought together over 120 participants from 16 countries, including companies from Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Georgia, Egypt, Cuba, China, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Czechia.

The Tourism Department of the Sports and Tourism Ministry and the National Tourism Agency are set to present new tourist routes in Belarus on 4 April. Tomorrow they are expected to demonstrate new tourist attractions. A roundtable discussion will also be held on 5 April to exchange views on interaction between tour guides and guides-interpreters.

The event is organized by the national exhibition center BelExpo in cooperation with the Belarusian Sports and Tourism Ministry. The fair focuses on travels and excursions, medical tourism and transport services, sports equipment and insurance in tourism, services of health resorts, recreation centers, tourist clubs, hotels, and various tourist accessories.