PHOTOfact: Minsk hosts III Belarusian-Russian Tourism Congress

Thus, the mutual flow of tourists in 2024 was 6 million, with the number of organised tourists from Russia exceeding 350 thousand and from Belarus 140 thousand people. Against the background of rising costs and complication of logistics of trips to non-CIS countries, domestic travellers are increasingly finding worthy alternatives for recreation in the truly boundless expanses of our common Fatherland from Brest to Vladivostok. Belarus is discovering the natural pearls of Russia's intangible heritage, be it the beauties of the Russian North, Karelia, the masterpieces of Moscow and St. Petersburg, or the resorts of the Black Sea, Caucasus, Altai or Primorye. 

Over the last two years, 10 new routes to Russian regions have appeared, including Ulyanovsk, Arkhangelsk, Mineralnye Vody, Samara, Chelyabinsk and Makhachkala. There are regular direct flights from Moscow to Minsk, Brest, Gomel and now Mogilev. In addition to the options already available, travelling by plane to St. Petersburg from Gomel, a similar air bridge has appeared between the city on the Neva and Brest.

On 11 January 2025, the Russian-Belarusian agreement on mutual recognition of visas and other issues related to the travel of foreign citizens and stateless persons to the territories of the member states of the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State entered into force. This opens up new prospects for promoting a joint tourist product among holidaymakers from third countries. The Tourist Information Centre of the Union State to be set up in Smolensk - a single platform for the development of proposals and exchange of information - is considered to be an additional help in terms of using the potential of Russian and Belarusian regions to receive guests. The opening of such an institution in Belarus is also on the agenda.