"Polessye Calling": Belarusian traditions as a force of attraction

The festival has already become a brand not only for the Pripyat National Park – the current “Polessye Calling” has gathered more than 10 districts of Brest and Gomel regions. Each region has prepared its own unique program. Yelnya district curls beard and attracts good luck, Zhitkovichi district marries the chimney, Luninets district leads the Kusta, the Khoiniki district knows all about amulets against the Mermaid... And this is only a small part of what the “Polessye Calling” is rich in.

The dialogue platform "Growth Points of Regional Tourism" aroused genuine interest among the workshop participants. Deputy Minister of Sports and Tourism Oleg Andreychik made a welcoming speech, noting that 1.8 million organized Belarusian tourists traveled around our country in 2023, which was a record even compared to 2019. Today we are seeing increased demand for many types of tourism, including in the regions. Hotels in major cities and SPA resorts in the country are 100% full and sold out by the end of the year. In these conditions, it is important to pay attention to the creation of new regional tourism products and stimulating businesses to invest in tourism infrastructure."

Head of the Sports and Tourism Department of Gomel Regional Executive Committee Pavel Starosvetsky spoke about the specifics of regional tourism development and promotion of tourism products through well-thought-out organization of events using the example of the festival "Polessye Calling". He paid special attention to the mechanisms for monetizing events.

Participants of the dialogue platform discussed the specifics of the formation of a regional tourism product, mechanisms for determining key types of tourism in the region, and issues of organizing work with transit tourism flows. The discussion was lively and fruitful.