"We have what to show and offer people," Lukashenko on potential of tourism in Belarus

The development of the tourism industry in Belarus has significant potential, according to President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. He made this statement while approving the appointment of Kirill Masharsky as Director of the National Tourism Agency, BelTA informs.

"It's a great thing when tourists come to you. I often say: there's no need to transport or sell some products. They're happy to buy our food, clothing, footwear, and cosmetics. They buy everything. Why do they buy? Because it's of acceptable quality and reasonable price," the head of state said. "These tourists are wealthy people with money to spend. So, great, let them spend, buy products, and export these goods themselves. There will be less centralized work for us."

"I've been to Oman recently. We spoke with the people in charge—they're really pushing tourism. In the Emirates, it's their number one source of income. Not oil, not gas (the Emirates has plenty of those), but tourism is already number one. And then there's oil and so on. People come and spend huge amounts of money. I'm not saying we'll end up like the Emirates. And we shouldn't do that right away. We'll have no place to spend our money. But we need to move in this direction, step by step. We have a lot to show and offer people," the President said.