Belarus’ PM urges to harness power of domestic travel

The challenges facing the tourism industry amidst the pandemic are a window of opportunity for domestic tourism. It is necessary to support domestic travel and encourage Belarusians and foreigners to see as much of the country as possible, Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko said at an off-site meeting to discuss domestic tourism prospects on 13 August, BelTA has learned.

During a trip to Novogrudok District Roman Golovchenko took part in a meeting to discuss promotion of domestic tourism and implementation of the Hospitable Belarus state program for 2021-2025.

“Belarus has made little headway in promoting domestic tourism. The contribution of tourism to the national economy is insignificant. It is clear that the industry is experiencing a number of difficulties related to the pandemic. But we should keep in mind that every cloud has a silver lining - this situation offers a window of opportunity to harness the power of domestic travel,” Roman Golovchenko said. He believes that it is important to band together with enthusiasts, public associations, people who sincerely want to show the beauty of Belarus to domestic and foreign travelers.

The interest in domestic travel is on the rise now. However, it is necessary to build on this trend. “Customer service remains a painful issue. It pertains to accommodation, roadside facilities, cafes and restaurants and transportation,” Roman Golovchenko noted. In line with the Hospitable Belarus program, over Br400 million has been earmarked to refurbish the country’s tourism infrastructure in the next five years. So far, the progress in utilizing these funds is rather slow in the regions.

Yet, the prime minister believes that it is not always about infrastructure. Belarus is a country of natural beauty. Many people come here to recharge their batteries away from civilization. “The promotion of this tourism segment does not need large investments. We need enthusiasts, good planning and high-quality tours,” the prime minister said.

 

Roman Golovchenko studied the tourism potential of Novogrudok, toured its tourist sites, including the House-Museum of Adam Mickiewicz, the Museum of Jewish Resistance, Novogrudok Castle, and learned about their experience in attracting tourists.