MINSK, 27 February (BelTA) – The number of farm stays in Belarus increased by 11.6% in 2019, BelTA learned from Vitaly Gritsevich, Deputy Director of the Tourism Department, Head of the Department for Planning and Organization of Tourism Activities at the Belarusian Sports and Tourism Ministry, at a press conference on 27 February.
The official said: “We see positive dynamics in the development of farm tourism and ecological tourism. We see undeniable growth of the number of farm stays.” As of 1 January 2020 there were nearly 2,800 farm stays in Belarus, 11.6% up from the year before.
In 2019 Belarusian farm stays welcomed over 514,000 guests, 22% up from 2018. The number of foreign tourists increased as well. Nearly 60,000 people from 78 countries visited Belarusian farm stays and appreciated the experience they offer. Most of them came from Russia, however, the number of Russian tourists is declining while the number of tourists from other countries is on the rise.
The Sports and Tourism Ministry representative believes that farm tourism is becoming a distinguishing trait of the Belarusian tourism industry. “And we actively promote Belarusian farm stays on international markets. We arrange national stands of Belarus at tourism expos and invite farm stays to participate so that they could promote their product. Such expos have been held in Russia, Poland, Baltic states, and even China,” Vitaly Gritsevich explained.
