Belarus can receive 20-25 million tourists per year - Head of the World Tourism Organization

09/04/20150 views

Belarus can attract 20-25 million tourists annually. This opinion was expressed today to journalists by the Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Taleb Rifai, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.

Approximately 6 million people cross the Belarusian border annually. According to Taleb Rifai, this figure could well increase to 20-25 million. "Belarus has enormous potential in this regard. Perhaps such a number of tourists will not come to Belarus tomorrow, or in two or five years, but it should happen in the future. The European market is important for the country, but it is also necessary to explore the tourism potential of China, the Republic of Korea, other Asian countries, and Brazil," said the head of UNWTO.

Taleb Rifai believes that the main trump cards for attracting millions of tourists to Belarus are the country's culture and advantageous geographical location. "These are the aspects that must be taken into account first and foremost," he is confident.

The head of UNWTO spoke about some global trends in tourism development, advising Belarus to consider them when promoting its opportunities. For instance, recently the centre of tourist attraction has been shifting Eastward, developing countries are becoming leaders in inbound and domestic tourism, and flexible visa policies contribute to the industry's development. Among tourists, there are increasingly more young people and elderly people. The number of independent travellers is growing, with every third person booking tourism services online rather than through agencies. According to UNWTO forecasts, the percentage of such individuals will increase year by year. If a tourist still decides to use the services of a travel agency, preference is typically given to a socially responsible company that cares about the environment.

News of Belarus (BELTA)