In January-July 2022 Belarus' export of tourist services surged by 30% year-on-year and amounted to $85 million, Belarusian Deputy Sport and Tourism Minister Oleg Andreichik told journalists ahead of the second edition of the international scientific conference dedicated to World Tourism Day, BelTA has learned.

In January-July 2022 the number of arrivals in the country doubled compared to January-July of last year. "Despite the difficult period, we built and upgraded more than 20 large tourism facilities last year alone. These are hotel and entertainment complexes, catering facilities. Dynamics is there, because demand is there. We see the positive developments in the sector. The potential is huge. It is important to use it smartly," said Oleg Andreichik.

Now Belarus has a good opportunity to reformat tourism, he said. "We see how inbound tourism has picked up pace, especially to Russia and the CIS countries. Therefore, we meet with colleagues from the CIS countries to discuss a joint strategy to promote the tourism opportunities of our countries - from the organization of cross-border tourist routes to personnel training projects, introducing world standards. It is important to jointly promote the common tourist product of the CIS countries with a national flavor. Moreover, we are leaving behind all the negative things associated with the pandemic," the deputy minister said.

According to him, despite some logistics restrictions, people began to travel more. "We see this in Belarus: there is a demand for tourist services. So, it is necessary to improve the infrastructure, develop the service, build an organizational system," he conclude

The conference focused on the use of historical and cultural heritage in tourism, the prospects for the development of various types of tourism in Belarus, the current state and potential of tourism infrastructure, the possibilities of international and cross-border tourism, modern technologies in the tourism and hospitality industry, and the training of professional personnel for domestic tourism.

Written by: belta.by