Belarus, Russia outline new areas of cooperation in tourism
11:30, 21 September
Photo: BELTA
A meeting of the Belarusian-Russian working group on tourism took place in the Zavidovo special economic zone of the tourist and recreational type in Tver Oblast on 18 September, BelTA has learned from the press service of the National Tourism Agency.
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A practical exchange of experience was an important part of the first meeting. The participants discussed the creation of Union State tourism products for tourists from China and other priority markets and the development and promotion of regional business projects and joint tourist routes.
Particular attention was paid to improving tourism infrastructure and service quality. The parties exchanged experience in the classification and certification of accommodation facilities, discussed approaches to beach certification and the standardization of ecological trails, and the development of Halal and Muslim Friendly segments.
The implementation of the agreement between the governments of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation on mutual visa recognition was also an important topic. The participants noted the need to further improve mechanisms that facilitate tourist travel and the development of joint routes for foreigners.
The parties also discussed approaches to monitoring and measuring mutual tourist flows. The Belarusian side presented the statistical accounting tools it uses and highlighted the potential for joint work to use modern digital data sources for a more accurate assessment of tourist movements. The parties expressed interest in further increasing the number of joint tourist routes and creating a Union State events calendar that would allow the tourism opportunities of the two countries to be promoted systematically.
Following the meeting, the two sides signed a number of documents aimed at developing and strengthening tourism cooperation between Belarus and Russia.
The next meeting of the working group on tourism within the Union State is scheduled to take place in Belarus in 2027.
The Belarusian delegation featured representatives of government bodies and tourism organizations. The participants observed the infrastructure of the Zavidovo tourist area, approaches to its master planning, financing, and management, and practices of cooperation between the government and business.
