"Such nature as in Belarus absent somewhere else in Europe"
News department of the "R", "Respublika", No 178, September 28, 2006
The Minister of Sport and Tourism of Belarus Alexander Grigorov is sure about high potential of tourism in our country.
"Where will you go to have a rest? On islands?" "No, on Braslav Lakes. But maybe I will travel to the lake of Naroch or in Belovezhskaya Pushcha…" Admit that you most often get such the dialogue among Belarusian citizens. If five years back prospects of having a rest in native lands were perceived with a fair amount of skepticism, today we speak about it as a generated tendency.
Indeed, we have interesting things for watching – about 5,000 objects attractive for tourists are located within the Belarusian area. Four of them are on a UNESCO's List of World Heritage Sites. There are Pripyatski and Berezinski reserves, ancient castle and palaces, Narochanski, Braslav Lakes and Belovezhskaya Pushcha natural areas, the August Channel and Ogniski's Channel, not mention about ancient towns with their priceless historical and cultural heritage. The quality of an infrastructure is also improved. More attractive objects for tourists - motels, camping-sites, cafes, parking areas, tourist routes' shits - will very soon appear along highways.
The most value of our country is a unique nature which kind is absent somewhere else in the European countries, the Minister of Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Grigorov declared to the journalists in the National Press Centre at a meeting timed to an International day of Tourism. "I will say more. Development of the potential of tourism in Belarus is defined by its favourable geographical situation. A modern and competitive tourist complex which significantly contributes to the national economy today develops in a sustainable way.
According to the Minister, the tourist branch can bring even more income (the entrance tourism in the European countries brings on average 6 - 7 percent of the budget income). Following up an ordered task, the volume of services is necessary to be increased in 12 times by 2010 while the amount of tourists visiting Belarus will increase in 5 times.
Regarding the subject
The Disnensky land which comprises the areas of Disnensky urban council and the next Zautievsky, Nikolaevsky, Perebrodsky and Yaznensky village councils got the first experience on reception of foreign tourists this year, BelTA News Agency informs. In the area of six village farms the rest for three tens of the tourists from Sweden, Italy and Israel was organized. The foreign visitors were pleasantly surprised with organization of a rest, local nature and traditions of the national crafts till now conserved. They were also attracted with a lack of large industrial enterprises in the town of Disna and its location far from the central lines. The entrance tourism, in opinion of the town's authorities, will promote revival of small Belarusian towns. Besides, this kind of tourism is a priority of a Strategy of Sustainable Development of the Disnensky land developed in cooperation with the Project within the framework of the UN Development Program "Localizing Sustainable Development" which was implemented by a PRO-UN Bureau in the countries of East Europe and CIS. The Strategy was developed for the period of till 2020.
By the way
The Ministry of Sport and Tourism has prepared a uniform plan of development of an infrastructure in the areas of all of 27 tourist zones of the country. For fife months of this year 19 hotels were repaired, 39 hunter and fisherman's houses were put in order, and 71 village farms and 120 tourist objects were maintained in Belarus. The branches of the National Agency on Tourism were open at all regional centres. Since April 1, 2006 the obligatory certification of tourist services rendered by tour-operators is set.
This is the fact
In August of the last year the government has approved a 2006 - 2010 National Program of Development of Tourism in Belarus which is today in the progress. The implementation of the Program will allow by 2010 to increase the volume of export of tourist services more than in 1.5 times. Earnings from tourism should exceed Br Rouble 870 Billion (~ $ US 430 million) per year to this time while the profit gained should become Br Rouble Billion 18.7 (~ $ US 9 million).
The National Program of Development of Tourism also determined to reach by 2010 the volume of the tourist and excursion services to 5 percents of the total amount of services provided for the population (today it is still 1 percent). Besides an autumn session of the Parliament of Belarus plans to ratify a Law on Tourism.
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