NUCLEAR POWER IN BELARUS AND WORLDWIDE
GRODNO, 17 September (BelTA) – Grodno has welcomed the 60,000th tourist who took advantage of the visa waiver program, BelTA has learned.
The anniversary visitor came from Norway. The man arrived in Belarus upon the invitation of his Belarusian colleagues.
“When they told me about the solemn reception, I thought it was a joke. Of course, it is pleasant to be an anniversary visitor. This just added to the great impressions of the country,” the Norwegian said. He noted that before the trip he had heard about Belarus mostly in connection with biathlon competitions. Now he wants to close the gaps: over the three days of his stay he will see the city's main attractions, tour a rural tourism estate near Grodno and visit the Augustow Canal.
The visitor was welcomed by Chairman of the Grodno City Council of Deputies Boris Fyodorov and Deputy Mayor of Grodno Zoya Kulesha. They noted that it is symbolic that the anniversary tourist came on 15 September, the day when the city marks its 890th anniversary. By the way, the Norwegian was greeted at the monument to a tourist. This monument was unveiled in Grodno downtown on the eve of the city day celebrations.
“Many foreigners are taking part in the city day celebrations today. The visa waiver contributes to the increase in tourist numbers. We see that the city is interesting for visitors,” Boris Fyodorov said. Since the start of 2018, Grodno and its suburbs have welcomed 60,000 visa-free tourists. Over the entire 2017 there were a little bit more than 50,000 such tourists. Most of the tourists visiting Grodno without visas are citizens of Lithuania, Poland, Latvia and Germany. All in all, tourists from over 50 countries have already visited the city.
The city's infrastructure greatly benefits from the growth in tourist flows. An array of new hospitality facilities were opened in the city in recent years, including hostels, hotels, cafes and restaurants. Several hundred new jobs were created. On average, the visa-free regime generates about $1 million for the regional economy every month.
As it was reported, Decree No. 462 on the visa-free entry and departure of foreign nationals came into force on 1 January 2018. The visa-free zone near Grodno was expanded to cover the entire Grodno District. Visa-free entry is available via road checkpoints and also checkpoints located at railway terminals and airports.
