Amendments are planned to be introduced in Belarus to Presidential Decree No. 365 "On the Development of Agro-ecotourism". The adjustments are proposed following a public discussion of the activities of entities in this business sector, conducted by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus in conjunction with state administration bodies and other interested parties.
Amendments are planned to be introduced in Belarus to Presidential Decree No. 365 "On the Development of Agro-ecotourism". The adjustments are proposed following a public discussion of the activities of entities in this business sector, conducted by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus in conjunction with state administration bodies and other interested parties. What are the main innovations proposed and what is the specific nature of agro-ecotourism development in the Vitebsk region, Svetlana Astanina, Head of the Tourism and Physical Culture and Health Work Sector of the Department of Sport and Tourism of the Regional Executive Committee, told a correspondent of "VV".
– What necessitated the amendments to the decree?
– Initially, in 2006, this document was adopted to support the rural population, develop entrepreneurial initiative in the hinterland, and preserve national Belarusian traditions. Preferential terms for such businesses were provided for in the legislation. However, over time, Decree No. 365 has not always been applied as intended. Exploiting loopholes in the legislation, some enterprising individuals, under the guise of agro-ecotourism estates, began to open hotels and catering establishments, and provide services such as baths and saunas. Complaints about the activities of agro-ecotourism estates from neighbours began to pour in. Villagers said that the owners did not live there but were registered, and rented out accommodation, while guests made noise, set off fireworks, and consumed alcohol. At the same time, the owners of the estates could not be held administratively liable as individuals. They found loopholes in the legislation, limiting themselves to warnings.
– How did the public discussion proceed?
– It was held in every region of the country. A public council was held in Vitebsk to introduce amendments. By the way, the council includes owners of homesteads from each district of the region, as well as representatives of the sports and tourism departments of district executive committees. At the discussion, the initiatives of each participant were heard, after which the issues were put to a vote. The most interesting initiatives are sent to the Ministry of Sport and Tourism. Then, a republican public council was held at the Ministry of Sport. The meeting was attended by representatives from each region (from the Vitebsk region – owners of agro-ecotourism estates from Braslav district), and ordinary villagers living next to such estates. In addition, anyone could express their comments and suggestions for amending Decree No. 365 in a special thread on the Legal Forum of Belarus. All this took place at the end of the year. And in January, an online meeting was held to summarise the results of the public discussion of the draft.
– What specific innovations are proposed to be introduced into the decree?
– It will be forbidden to make noise in agro-ecotourism estates from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., as in urban homes. It is proposed to consider only objects with an area of 0.15 hectares or more as agro-ecotourism estates. Currently, some owners of such businesses have houses on very small plots: in fact, it is just a cottage with two or three trees nearby, enclosed by a fence or decorative hedge. It is clear that this cannot be called an agro-ecotourism estate. It is desirable that there be a personal subsidiary farm next to the cottage. And the tourist could eat fresh vegetables directly from the garden, and fruits from the orchard. We also propose to introduce a declarative principle for opening an agro-ecotourism estate instead of a notification-based one. Currently, to start such activities, it is enough to send a corresponding notification to the district executive committee by ordinary letter. At the same time, the authorities could not initially know whether the new object met the requirements of Decree No. 365. And it was possible to prohibit the operation of the estate only in case of repeated gross violations. The declarative principle provides that before starting the activity of an agro-ecotourism estate, a commission from the district executive committee must visit the object to check it for compliance with the requirements of the legislation. After which, a decision on registration or refusal with justification will be made.
– What is specific about the development of agro-ecotourism estates in the Vitebsk region?
– We have quite a few of them, thanks to the abundance of lakes and other picturesque places. Previously, the number of estates grew annually: in 2020, 670 subjects of agro-ecotourism were operating, and in 2021 – 732. Recently, tax legislation has changed in Belarus. Previously, to carry out such activities, it was required to pay a tax of 2 base units per year; now it is one base unit per month. In this regard, slightly over 100 business entities have submitted applications to cease operations. This is understandable. Some estates only receive clients during the warm season. In late autumn and early spring, people do not travel much and are not eager to visit lakes. Plus, there are heating costs. However, I believe that owners of closed estates will resume operations for the summer period.
– In your opinion, how should an agro-ecotourism estate ideally operate?
– It is important to create a national flavour. I would very much like to see Belarusian traditions popularised. For example, why not create mini-museums of old items? By the way, some estates exhibit similar collections.
Furthermore, agro-ecotourism estates can engage in educational activities, telling guests about work in a household plot: how and what is grown. Some city dwellers, who do not have a dacha, rarely visit the countryside. For them and their children, such recreation is quite exotic. The owner of one of the estates recounted: a family from Moscow visited them, and a preschool-aged girl looked at the vegetables in the garden with such amazement! She asked permission to touch the onions in the ground. Simply put, some city children think that vegetables and fruits grow in the shop.
Events in a national style with ancient rituals will also arouse tourists' interest. For example, such as "Tereshka's Wedding" in the Lepel district. And practically in every district of the region, if you delve into the archives, you can find similar ancient traditions characteristic of the region.
Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by
