MINSK, 14 December (BelTA) – Belarus has lost a big number of tourists in the wake of Russia's decision not to let in EU citizens through the Belarusian-Russian border, Vitaly Gritsevich, Deputy Director of the Tourism Department of the Belarusian Sports and Tourism Ministry, told the media on 14 December.
“We have lost a considerable number of transit tourists who are forced to go 200-300km to bypass our country. This issue is discussed at all levels, but I cannot say that any progress has been made. I have no such information,” Vitaly Gritsevich said.
Some 3.257 million tourists entered Belarus in January-September 2016, Vitaly Gritsevich noted. In terms of numbers, Russian tourists go first followed by the Ukrainians. “By the end of the year we are planning to reach the level of 2015 when the country saw 4.3 million tourists. Tourist flows from Russia are getting restored. Before the end of the year, we expect the same progress in the situation with tourists from Ukraine,” Vitaly Gritsevich said. According to him, Belarus is most frequently visited by tourists in organized groups.
