MINSK, 3 April (BelTA) – Around 8,000 visa-free tourists have visited Belarus since 12 February, Belarusian Sports and Tourism Minister Alexander Shamko told reporters at BelTA's press center on 3 April.
“Some 8,000 people have already taken advantage of the opportunity to visit Belarus without a visa since 12 February. We see a good trend, and we would like to thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the hard work to promote the decree, and the law-enforcement and defense authorities who participated in developing the document. There were many disputes and concerns, but today we can say with confidence that the implementation of the decree has caused no security or other issues,” the minister said.
Alexander Shamko pointed out that the five-day visa-free travel gives reason to hope for a considerable increase in the export of tourism services. In 2016, the export of these services earned $155.2 million (2.4% above the set target). In January 2017, the figure stood at $11.5 million, up by 12.8% as against January 2016.
Citizens of 80 countries can stay in Belarus for five days without a visa as of 12 February, provided they enter the country via Minsk National Airport. The regulations apply to citizens of 39 countries of Europe, including the entire European Union, as well as Brazil, Indonesia, the USA, Japan, and other countries.
