Russia named most popular travel destination for Belarusians in 2023

Russia was the most popular destination among Belarusian tourists in 2023, Director of the Tourism Department of the Sports and Tourism Ministry Irina Voronovich told BelTA’s The Nation Speaks project.

According to Irina Voronovich, last year Belarusians traveled to Russia the most. The ministry and Russian regions concluded memorandums and agreements and developed a number of itineraries.

Russian tourists also love visiting Belarus. “This is very gratifying. Today we are considering the development of cross-border itineraries with our neighbor, specifically with the border regions. This will make traveling more convenient for both Russians and Belarusians,” said the specialist.

Other popular destinations included countries where Belarusians can get to using direct flights - Egypt and Türkiye. Member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization were also of interest to Belarusians.

In 2023, Belarus stepped up cooperation with Chinese partners. “This year this work will be continued, because a memorandum has been signed and tourism operators have been identified to interact with Chinese partners,” Irina Voronovich remarked.

In addition to that, direct flights to China and India were launched last year. “Belarusians are very curious about Asian destinations, because these countries have a completely different history and culture that will leave no one indifferent. They also have excellent ski resorts. We see that this type of tourism is gaining traction,” Irina Voronovich said.

In 2023, Belarus’ tourism industry was gradually recovering. “Of course, we need to build on what we achieved last year, as well as to intensify contacts with Russian regions, the SCO countries and all other countries where Belarusians can fly. Logistics is an important factor. When planning a trip, people are looking at countries where they can get to in the easiest and most convenient way. Some people travel to Goa and Bali, but their number is not as large as it was before the pandemic. People are getting their travel bug back little by little. We should also mention that people are also eager to discover and explore their own country,” Irina Voronovich concluded.