More than 1 million foreign tourists visit Belarus in 2022

More than 1 million foreign tourists visited Belarus in 2022. This was stated by deputy director, head of the planning and organization of tourism activities of the Department of Tourism of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism Yekaterina Nikitina, as Minsk-news agency reports.

"If we talk about domestic tourism, the number of organized tourists and excursionists, citizens of the Republic of Belarus, was 1 million 330 thousand people. Our country was also visited by more than 1 million foreigners. 2.5 million people stayed in hotels and other accommodations, which is one and a half times more than in 2021," said Nikitina.

She also said that in 2023, the main aspect for the development of tourism will be the creation of a network of tourist information centers.

"There are great hopes for an increase in the flow of tourists, as an agreement with the Russian Federation on mutual recognition of visas has been ratified. We hope for joint cross-border routes. The flow of tourists from China is also projected to increase due to the lifting of coronavirus restrictions. Positive dynamics in domestic tourism is expected, the emphasis will be on small towns", - said Nikitina.

Anna Voshinchuk, head of the quality and educational and analytical work department of the National Agency for Tourism, added that a calendar of events for 2023 has been created for the convenience of Belarusians and guests of the country, where every tourist can find an interesting place to visit.

"This calendar is on the website of the National Tourism Agency. Anyone can go there and choose a musical or sporting event. We update the information on tours every year, since some information is outdated and some routes need to be changed", Voshinchuk said.

In this case, the most popular places to visit in the country remain national parks, reserves and wildlife preserves, palaces, museums and centers of folk art.