Belarus Records Record Growth in Domestic and Inbound Tourism
Belarus is recording a record growth in domestic and inbound tourism. This was stated on November 12 by First Deputy Minister of Economy Ivan Vezhnovets, presenting the interim results of the implementation of the socio-economic development program until 2030 at a meeting of the Grodno Regional Executive Committee.
Illustrative photo. Photo from social networks
According to preliminary estimates, by the end of 2026, the share of the tourism industry in Belarus' GDP will reach 2.6%, and the export of tourist services will increase by 20.6%. The Ministry of Economy attributes these results to measures for the development of the tourism sector.
As Vezhnovets reported, a large-scale institutional reform has been carried out in the industry. Since the beginning of the year, the National Tourism Agency has been operating, a corresponding system of state administration has been created, and the state program "Tourism", a concept for the development of the tourism sector, and other regulatory documents have been developed.
Hospitality and recreation infrastructure is also developing. To support relevant projects, a special credit product "Tourism Potential" has been launched. In the first nine months of 2026, 16 major facilities were put into operation.
Special attention is paid to promoting the national tourism brand. For this, a competition was announced for the best tourism image of the country, popular TV shows were filmed, and familiarization trips across Belarus were organized for famous bloggers from China and other countries.
According to the representative of the Ministry of Economy, the cultural component of tourism is also developing. Major events are held in all regions, including the Festival of National Cultures in Grodno, "Kupalle" in Alexandria, and "Verasniovy Fest" in Zhilichi.