Department of Sports and Tourism: Vitebsk region aims to hold the potato dish festival "Bulba-Kartoshka-Potatoes" and build hotels
– The share of export of tourist services of the region in the total republican volume is 7.3 percent, which is the third indicator after Minsk and the Minsk region. At the same time, the dynamics compared to last year for nine months are expected to exceed 210 percent. This is the best indicator in the Republic of Belarus to date. Sanatoriums account for almost 57 percent of the export of tourist services in the region, – said Vasily Zakharevich, Head of the Department of Sports and Tourism of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.
Vitebsk region is a region with a rich cultural heritage, creative and natural potential. Agritourism, ecological, medical, health, industrial, religious, festival, sports, gastronomic, and hunting tourism are developing in the region. The pilot project "Cornflower Region" contributes to the promotion of the tourist opportunities of the northern region of the country through the internet and social networks, and the development of convenient infrastructure for various tourists. In 2023, it is planned to create maps with the main tourist routes of the cities and districts of the region, and to launch the mobile application "Cornflower Region – Life" with the marking of key tourist sites on the online map.
The development of cultural and educational, local history, ecological, industrial, and other tourist routes will be carried out taking into account the specifics of the region, the duration of tourists' stay, and their mobility capabilities. Each district will present its unique features and most significant places.
The festival of potato dishes "Bulba-Kartoshka-Potatoes", which will be held for the first time in the Vitebsk region, will also be included in the calendar of main tourist events for 2023.
– There are many ideas, but to increase the tourist attractiveness of the region, we need to eliminate some shortcomings first. It is necessary to tidy up some unsightly objects, expand the list of catering facilities with Belarusian national cuisine, roadside services, and build more accommodation facilities. In Orsha, a private hotel near the Ice Palace should be commissioned by the end of the year, and another hotel will be in Polotsk. We must offer new services, such as food delivery to the place of recreation or hunting, and expand the range of rental services, – is convinced Vasily Zakharov.
The development of tourism contributes not only to the influx of tourists but also to increased employment in the regions, an improved standard of living for the population, and a growing contribution of the industry to the economy.