GRODNO, 11 November (BelTA) – The decision to expand the visa-free zone in Grodno Oblast encouraged more foreigners to book tours at local health resorts, Deputy Head of the Sport and Tourism Department of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee Tatyana Lidyayeva told BelTA.
Foreign vacationers are showing an increased interest in Grodno Oblast. One of the factors contributing to that is a possibility to visit the region without visas. Since the start of the year, Grodno and the surrounding area have welcomed over 105,000 visa-free tourists, most of them from Lithuania and Poland. Foreigners are mostly interested in historical sites, medical and wellness tourism.
“Decree No. 300 on the rules of entry and exit of foreign nationals came into force on 10 November. In line with the decree, foreigners traveling on group tours along specified travel routes can stay in Grodno Oblast visa-free for up to 15 days. The expanded visa-free zone includes several sanatoriums of the region that were not available for visa-free tourists before. These sanatoriums report a rise in bookings by foreigners. The interest is attributed to the affordable price and the high quality of services,” Tatyana Lidyayeva said. She emphasized that over 200 visa-free tourists entered the region on 10 November. Another 1,000 people are to come soon.
Grodno Oblast will keep working to become more visible on the international tourism market, including in the neighboring states. In particular, travel agents from Western and Central Poland are to come to Grodno Oblast for a fam trip in December. The most popular attractions include the Augustow Canal, Novogrudok, Mir, places associated with Adam Mickiewicz and Eliza Orzeszkowa, the famous Polish musician Czeslaw Niemen who was born in the village of Starye Vasilishki, Shchuchin District.
The website grodnovisafree.by was updated following the expansion of the visa-free zone. The website was launched about three years ago. It is a one-stop-shop for travelers planning to visit Grodno and the region. The website offers contacts of travel agencies,
information about the necessary documents needed to enter the zone, border crossing procedures, a calender of events, description of popular tours and many more. The website is available in several languages.
