Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 6 July (BelTA) - Belarus looks forward to new projects with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), First Deputy Head of the Belarus President Administration Maksim Ryzhenkov said at the conference on branding: innovative ideas to attract tourists, BelTA has learned.

“On the world’s tourist map Belarus is a relatively young nation. We have a lot to show: beautiful nature, excellent sports infrastructure, very hospitable people, and rich cultural heritage,” Maksim Ryzhenkov noted. However, the measures that have been taken to promote tourism are not enough, he believes.

Belarus places a special emphasis on sports tourism therefore is interested in the experience of the countries that have made progress in this regard, for example the experience of Azerbaijan that hosted the First European Games.

Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization Taleb Rifai said that it is always interesting for him to visit Belarus to see the advances in tourism. He is confident that a good tourist brand will be developed to promote the country. “Belarus is a beautiful country and the brand should reflect your values, the things that are important to you. Beauty can be the keyword. No wonder that he Italian word ‘bello’, which means ‘beautiful’, is consonant with the name of your country,” Taleb Rifai noted.

The conference on branding: innovative ideas to attract tourists is running in Minsk on 6-7 July. The conference has brought together 300 guests from 30 countries to discuss the branding on the global tourism market and the development of the brand for Belarus. Scheduled thematic sessions include: “The role of new technologies and social networks in tourism branding”, “Destination branding case studies”, “Sports and tourism - co-branding in tourism.”

The conference has been organized by the World Tourism Organization, the Sport and Tourism Ministry and the National Olympic Committee of Belarus, the World Tourism Organization, and the EU project “Support to sustainable tourism development in Belarus”.