MINSK, 3 April (BelTA) - More than 22,000 travelers visited the city of Grodno and Grodno District in January-March 2019 using the visa-free travel program, which was up by 130% over the same period in 2018, BelTA learned from the sports and tourism department of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee.
“Almost 40% of foreign guests stay in the region for two or more days. Visa-free tourists come both as part of groups and individually”, the sports and tourism department said. Since the beginning of the year, citizens of more than 30 countries have visited Grodno without visas. Most of them were from neighboring countries: Lithuania, Poland, and Latvia.
The region is actively developing all types of tourism. Foreign visitors come to Grodno to see the sights and also for recreation and recuperation purposes. Since the beginning of the year, health resorts located in the visa-free zone have welcomed more than 300 foreign customers.
It is expected that the tourists flow to Grodno will be increasing. The active season on the Augustow Canal will start soon. The seasonal river checkpoint Lesnaya-Rudawka on the border with Poland will open on 27 April. Last year about 3,000 people crossed the border via this checkpoint.
On 1 January 2018, according to Decree No. 462 “On the visa-free procedure for the entry and exit of foreign citizens”, the visa-free area near Grodno was expanded to the entire Grodno District. Today, visitors may enter Grodno District without visas via automobile, rail and air checkpoints. In 2018, over 92,000 foreigners visited Grodno visa-free.
The issue of expanding the visa-free zone is under consideration. If such a step is implemented, the region will have an opportunity to introduce new tourism products, expand the range of services, offer new directions in various types of tourism. The issue of uniting the Grodno and Brest visa-free zones is also discussed.
