Date :
Thursday, June 27, 2024
An outdoor meeting of the working group on the development of agroecotourism, headed by Deputy Minister of Sports and Tourism Oleg Andreichik, was held in Grodno region
An outdoor meeting of the working group on the development of agroecotourism, headed by Deputy Minister of Sports and Tourism Oleg Andreichik, was held in Grodno region. The event was attended by representatives of the sports and tourism departments of the regional executive committees. Experts discussed the results of the development of this area in the regions, summed up the results of the month of agroecotourism and the “Wander. Feel it. Get inspired" campaign. Much attention was paid to the problematic issues of the sphere and the peculiarities of legislation.
The event participants visited the “Grodno estate “Karobchytsy”. The heart of “Karobchycy” is a piece of untouched forest. The arboretum, where there are about 400 species of trees, shrubs and herbs, invites to admire the amazing plants. Many wild animals live on free grazing and in the mini-zoo. Another point of attraction in “Karobchytsy” is the historical and cultural complex “Grodno Fortress - Partisan Camp”. It introduces partisan life and the history of battles at anti-aircraft positions and forts.
A meeting of the working group on the development of agroecotourism was held in “Karobchytsy”. In his welcoming speech, Deputy Minister of Sports and Tourism Oleg Andreichik noted that the intensive work of the group contributes to the improvement of the agroecotourism. Oleg Andreichik also reported on the latest innovations in legislation in agroecotourism.
Topical issues were on the agenda: the development of this area in the regions, monitoring of agroecotourism estates, meetings with their owners, as well as the implementation of administrative procedures in relation to agroecotourism facilities. Representatives of regional executive committees shared the results of their work, identified problematic issues and discussed ways to solve them.
Consultant of the Department of Tourism of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism Alexander Krechetov, spoke about the updated algorithm for working with individuals in light of changes in laws on business issues. Representative of Belagroprombank OJSC Lyudmila Grabovskaya touched upon the issues of providing credit resources. This year, 8 projects for the development of agroeco-estates have already received support.
By the way, this year amendments were made to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons. Previously, information about the settlement of foreigners was submitted to the citizenship and migration departments within 24 hours, now – no later than 3 hours. This can be done either first-hand or through the information resource of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs system or the Unified Electronic Services Portal.
Particular attention was paid to the results of the “Wander. Feel it. Get inspired" campaign. This year, 1,207 tourism facilities took part, compared to 924 in 2023. The most are representatives from Grodno region – 334. For other regions the situation is as follows:
- Vitebsk region – 259;
- Brest region – 207;
- Mogilev region – 138;
- Minsk region – 107;
- Gomel region –100;
- Minsk City – 62.
As part of the campaign, 61,411 guests visited tourist sites. The top facilities include Pruzhany Palace Museum-Estate, Animal Park, National Library of Belarus, Kobrin Military History Museum named after A. Suvorov and other institutions.
174 agroeco estates also joined the campaign. They held open days, master classes, and tastings of national cuisine. It is noteworthy that since the beginning of the year, the number of agroecotourism entities has increased in some regions. Thus, in Gomel and Brest regions, 15 agroecoestates were registered in less than six months.
In total, there are 1312 agroecotourism facilities in Belarus:
- Brest region – 263
- Vitebsk region – 170
- Gomel region – 114
- Grodno regioin – 263
- Minsk region – 372
- Mogilev region – 130
Today, agroecotourism facilities are actively looking for a new working formats and using every effort to meet the growing demands of tourists. For example, at the Tarusichi agroeco estate, guests are treated to homemade cheeses of various varieties from the local cheese factory.
A distinctive feature of the agroeco estate “Losiny Ostrov” is its atmosphere and mystery: cozy rooms with rare collections of tapestries, stuffed animals, reproductions of famous paintings complement and enrich the holiday, making it unique.
“Karalino Tiesenhaus' farm” is literally saturated with secrets and legends, because guests are offered accommodation in restored historical buildings that were literally raised from ruins.
Visiting card of agroeco estate "In the calm of an isolated farmstead" is beekeeping. Here you can not only treat to different types of honey, but also try a unique healing procedure - sleeping on beehives.
The next point of the outdoor meeting is the "Dolina Zarechnaya" agroeco estate. The owners created ideal conditions for rest and an excellent atmosphere for family holidays: a gentle slope, a small pond, and old linden trees fit perfectly into the local landscape.
And the owners of the "VIPOB bath house" agro-eco-estate built their creation for about eight years. The owners worked on the interior design themselves. And the most important thing: the wooden house is built with one's own hands.
The final result of the two-day fruitful work was a visit to the "Above the Neman" agro-eco-estate. The agro-eco-estate repeatedly became the winner of the contest "The best agro-eco-estate in Belarus". A beautiful landscape, a cozy interior made of wood and stone, an abundance of flowers and delicious food - this will not leave anyone indifferent. By the way, Valery, the owner of the agricultural eco-estate, is one of the few who knows how to play the gulsi.