MINSK, 9 March (BelTA) – Travelers from 174 countries visited Belarus in 2023, Director of the Tourism Department of the Sports and Tourism Ministry Irina Voronovich told BelTA’s The Nation Speaks project.
“In 2023, tourists from 174 countries visited Belarus. Most of them came from the Russian Federation. They were followed by tourists from Lithuania and Latvia. In this regard, the visa waiver is an important factor contributing to tourist arrivals,” said Irina Voronovich.
For example, earlier Grodno Oblast and Brest Oblast were working on visa-free travel for tourist groups. “But the decree on the visa waiver that is in force today has proved to be more relevant, because after the pandemic the number of individual tourists exceeds the number of tourists buying travel packages. It’s easier for travelers to band together with some friends, get into a car, drive in the country, have some fun, buy something and just have a walk around the city,” the specialist explained.
