What Attracts Tourists To Belarus? by Michael Garmahis

Foreign tourists are attracted with kindliness and hospitality of Belarussians.

- It is important also that there have to be no difference, what we promise to the tourist and what we really give, - director of company Merlintour Inna Maslennikova speaks. The Czech, German, Austrian, Hungarian hunters come to Belarus, but their quantity would be much more if the related level of comfort and entertainments would be applied to unique Belarus landscapes and fine opportunities to hunt.

What surprises or disappoints the tourists wishing to arrive to Belarus? First of all, it is not developed tourist infrastructure, problems by crossing border and procedure of getting of the visa. Among the reasons is the increase of the price for visas. But it is wrong when the task is to open the country for tourists. For example, France has abolished the visa after 2nd World war to earn on tourism. Belarus neighboring countries cancelled the payment for visas to citizens of the countries of the European Union.

Belarus has the fine nature, the rivers, lakes, woods, but it is a little. Belarus is yet no so well-known in the world. There are still no serious researches what the tourist wishes to see. Tour operators of many countries consult to representatives of foreign tour agencies and pay to them to know preferences of their clients.

Three prices for a hotel room are absolutely impossible to explain to the foreign tourists. The price depends on citizenship in all Belarus hotels, except for unique in the country 4-stars hotel Minsk. Visitors are divided into two or three categories: citizens of Belarus, citizens of the CIS and foreigners from the far abroad. For example, in the hotel Jubilejnaja the Belarus citizens will pay for the same apartment 45 000 rubles and citizens of other countries twice more. In Minsk hotel Belarus the price for far abroad tourists is 6 dollars more, than for foreigners from the CIS. But both prices are twice more, as pay Belarussians.

The prime minister of Belarus Sergey Sidorsky has demanded to involve in the country 3 million tourists for five years. Tour agencies have agreed. Otherwise they are threatened with deprivation of licenses. By working rules, the Belarus tour operators must provide not less, than a 10 percent ratio between in and out tourists. But there is nothing terrible, that more Belarussians are wishing to have a rest abroad, than the foreigners coming to Belarus. Such situation is now in many countries, but nobody makes tragedy from this. For example in the past year one and a half million of Bulgarians went to have a rest in Turkey though they have a coast in Bulgaria.

About The Author

Michael Garmahis (29) is journalist working in one of the Belarusian online media. For further information, please visit his web site: http://www.garmahis.com (Belarus News and Facts)