"More new regions are added to the tourism business"
Marine GUCHEK, Yuri BESTVITSKIY, "Respublika" (The Republic) newspaper, No 133, July 25, 2006
Cheslav Shulga is talking about measures on how the Prime Minister's commissions are executed
The development of domestic tourism in 2006 - 2010 as one of the major sources of currency revenue of the state links with solving many organizational and legal issues. On the instructions of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Sergey Sidorskiy, a working group headed by Deputy Minister of Sport and Tourism of Belarus Cheslav Shulga will coordinate many-sided problems of the promising branch, and will introduce the practice of foreign countries. The reporters of the "Respublika" Marina Guchek and Yuri Bestvitskiy converse with him.
Cheslav Kazimirovich, discussions on the theme of development of the tourism branch in Belarus during a session of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers has brought forward on the agenda an actual question – how to make all necessary conditions for this purpose?
The government approved a number of important documents stimulating development of a mechanism to get interest. In the early June this year, the head of the state signed two decrees directed to development of both infrastructure and all components of domestic tourism. One of these decrees is directed to support rural-ecological tourism. A third important document establishes a Department on Tourism Development. This means that the government has taken into consideration overall our wishes and has executed them. On the other hand, the domestic business was not enough to be ready promoting this kind of radical steps ratified by the bodies of state management in the field of stimulation of development of the tourism branch. The Ministry of Sport and Tourism is also insufficiently active in order to realize the accepted documents. This explains the rigid reaction of the Prime Minister sounded at the session of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers. He determined new terms to consider the performance of the program on development of tourism. At the end of the year we shall report for the government about what concrete objects will be constructed in the territory of each of the regions, and what infrastructure will be created to surround them.
How many tourist objects will be constructed in the country till 2010?
Not less than 200 objects. But this is a minimum, as we annually bring corrections to the state program directing only to increase the values. New objects of service, motels, camping-sites, cafes, parking places, tourist routes will appear along our highways in the near coming years. Till 1st September about 80 road signs indicated tourist objects will be set along the basic international road lines. For example, the Brest highway will be designed with signs of the Mir, Kossovsk and Nesvizh castles. Are you interested in the income gained from tourism? The positive dynamics is observed. 317 millions Roubles were gained last year, while 765 millions Roubles were gained for the first quarter of this year. According to research data carried out by the National Agency on Tourism together with the National Bank of Belarus, an adult foreign tourist staying in our country spends a minimum $ 170 - 200 for additional services. In Lithuania this figure is twice higher. This means that we lose in the field of creation of tourism infrastructure.
Can the situation in the most perspective directions of Belarus – rural and ecological tourism – be changed to the best?
The decree about development of village ecological tourism is a great help for this purpose. Approximately 71 village farms were created for the five months. Not only people have a rest but also about 450 - 500 men get to be employed. Due to the peasants who have an opportunity to let houses out for rent, we can satisfy 40 percents of needs in means of accommodation in countryside in the nearest one or two years. Thanks to this, those regions of Belarus, which have enormous potential but are inefficiently used today, are possible to put into circulation by covering with the tourism's activity. For example, there are Western Dvina river, Grodno and Brest regions, and others. We hope that the quantity of the wishing to be engaged in the village tourism will increase in the near future.
Have the tourist centers of the regions got good development?
Within the framework of a Program of development of tourism for 2006 – 2010, 27 cultural-tourist zones – the most significant and popular places of Belarus - are determined. 11 zones of this type - Polotsk, Turov, Mogilyov, Naroch and others - are already being created today. More 10 zones will be added to the end of this year. In each region we plan to create a large tourist centre which could accept about 150 - 200 thousand tourists during a year. The mounting-ski health resort "Silichi" is already under recreation in the Minsk region. The health resort "Logoisk", the sport complex "Raubichi" and the memorial complex "Hatyn" are situated nearby. Renewal of a route from Varangian to the Greeks along the Dnepr River, from the town of Orsha to Mogilyov with the centre in the urban-like settlement of Kopys, is one of the projects as well. The tourists, being on ancient vessels there, can feel the times when our ancestors were floating along trade ways from Scandinavia to Turkey. A Grandfather Frost's residence in Belovezhskaya Pushcha is famous nearly all over the world. A historical image of the August channel in the Grodno region is necessary to use as maximum as possible.
Will restoration of architectural monuments stimulate development of tourism in our country?
The Belarusian state basically focuses on the use of natural heritage. We consider restoration of the Mir and Nesvizh castles, first of all, as creation of the centers of cultural creativity. Directions to conduct festivals and national holidays, to sale souvenirs and to create infrastructure are the priority for our country. Greece using ancient ruins earns millions of dollars from pilgrimage of the tourists.
What privileges will be given to the investors who invest into the perspective branch of the domestic economy?
In order to develop tourism, the decree signed by the head of the state provides for decreasing taxes for all managing subjects and natural persons who invest material means into the tourism's infrastructure. The bodies of executive local authorities have a right to reduce these taxes, as well as the payment for land's rent to a level of zero. Within three years the presidential decree also makes profit free of taxes for 33 kinds of objects promoting development of tourism in Belarus. The managing subjects which provide service for the tourists inside the country, and accept the foreigners have the tax rate of zero concerning the surplus value as well.
Thank you for the interview, Cheslav Kazimirovich.
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