What events are agriturismo estates preparing in the near future and who will provide financial assistance – these are some of the questions discussed in Lepel at the meeting of the regional public council for the development of agritourism in the Vitebsk region. The council promotes the development of this service sector in two ways: on the one hand, it strives to preserve what exists, and on the other, it facilitates the opening of new facilities. This time, agriturismo estate owners and representatives of government structures met in our district.
The Vitebsk region has about 400 agriturismo estates, with 23 located in our district. Festivals and seminars provide ample opportunity to share experience. Furthermore, last year marked the beginning of a good tradition: on the last Sunday of May, each agriturismo estate hosts an Open Day. The third gathering of agriturismo estates will take place this year in the Liozno district. Its participants will be those who truly have something to showcase and can conduct master classes.
The participants of the meeting also decided on the topic of the next training seminar – marketing in the field of agritourism. When collaborating with universities, do not neglect written agreements, advised the deputy chairperson of the public council, Olga Makhanenko from Lepel. Possibly, next year, students from the Faculty of History of Belarusian State University will conduct an expedition in the Lepel district. They will be searching for unknown facts of "culinary history" within the framework of the international project "Bella Cuisine: Culinary Heritage". This event is currently under development.
It can be confidently stated that the Lepel region is ready to welcome guests to the traditional folk festival Kupala on Lyukzhino Lake. Last year, a master class on wreath weaving was conducted by the Latvian Consul, Ms. Dagnia. According to the organiser, Olga Makhanenko, there are no spectators or performers at this mass event; everyone is involved in the entertainment process. Youth who care about their native culture gather for Kupala from all regions of the republic. The ritual "Wedding of Tereshka" has also been held in the Lepel district in this interactive format for several years. As a tradition passed down from generation to generation, it is a candidate for inclusion in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in Belarus…
Each of the agriturismo estates in the Vitebsk region has something to see, and to ensure tourists do not get lost in such diversity, a proposal was made at the meeting to create an agriturismo estate map.
Ekaterina OSOVSKAYA