On May 13, Lida / BelTA correspondent. Tourist facilities in Belarus need to be used more actively. This was stated today to journalists in Lida during a visit to agro-tourism facilities by the Chairman of the Council of the Republic Anatoly Rubinov, BelTA correspondent reports. Anatoly Rubinov noted that the development of agro-tourism in the country is currently only at its initial stage. "So far, local executive authorities are not receiving direct economic returns from these facilities," the Chairman of the Council of the Republic noted. However, in his opinion, agro-tourism has great potential. It attracts foreign tourists, and consequently, funds into the economy of Belarus, and also enhances the country's image. According to Anatoly Rubinov, local executive authorities need to be more actively involved in the work on developing the tourism industry. The Chairman of the Council of the Republic noted that the state has invested considerable funds in the restoration of historical and cultural sites in the Lida region. Today, according to him, it is necessary to do everything to make these sites profitable. "We need to find opportunities, a format, to earn money today," he stressed. In addition, agro-tourism contributes to the support and preservation of the historical and cultural heritage of Belarus, which, in the opinion of the Chairman of the Council of the Republic, is of paramount importance in the upbringing of the country's younger generation. Anatoly Rubinov visited the Lida District Center of Crafts, the hotel complex, the roadside service facility "Gostiny Dvor", and the agro-estate "Nad Nemanom" today. The targeted work of local authorities has made it possible to expand the geography of agro-ecotourism services and increase the number of agro-estates in the region from 4 in 2007 to 26 this year. All facilities are part of the republican public association "Rest in the Village". The most successful are the agro-estates located in the territories of Dokudovsky, Goncharsky, Tretyakovsky, Kroupovsky rural and Berezovsky urban councils.-0-

BELTA