GRODNO, 26 December (BelTA) – A guest from Bialystok, Poland, became the 90,000 tourist who came to Grodno without a visa this year, BelTA learned from Oleg Andreichik, the head of the sport and tourism department of the Grodno regional administration.
Jerzy Mydlarz from Poland came to Grodno to participate in the traditional New Year mini marathon held in the Neman central sports center on 23 December. He is a frequent participant of running events in Belarus.
“It's nice that the race brought together participants from various regions of Belarus and also from Poland and Lithuania. The visa-free entry to Grodno and surrounding areas has greatly contributed to this. We see that the flow of tourists is growing. In 2017, Grodno hosted some 50,000 guests, and today we welcomed the 90,000th visa-free tourist,” said Oleg Andreichik. “Citizens of more than 70 countries have come to see. Poles and Lithuanians are our most frequent guests. Many foreigners plan to celebrate the New Year in Grodno,” he noted.
The contribution of tourism to the region's economy is notable. Grodno has been vigorously developing the hospitality, catering and services sectors. The region offers more tourist services. For example, medical tourism and factory torus are gaining popularity.
On 1 January 2018, according to Decree No. 462 “On the establishment of visa-free rules for the entry and exit of foreign citizens”, the area near Grodno accessible to visa-free tourists was expanded to cover the entire Grodno District. Tourists can travel to Grodno District by car, rail or air.
