Business news

26 Apr 2025

Belarus eager to increase tourist flows with China

An archive photo

MINSK, 26 April (BelTA) - Cooperation in tourism between Belarus and China were discussed at the 18^th China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market (COTTM2025) held in Beijing on 24-26 April, BelTA learned from the National Tourism Agency.

The event gathered tour operators from almost 50 countries. After several years of being held in the autumn, COTTM returned to its traditional April schedule. COTTM continues to be an important platform for the development of international cooperation in tourism.

On the margins of the exhibition, Director of the National Tourism Agency Dmitry Morozov held a series of bilateral meetings to discuss the organization of Belarus’ national stand and a workshop at the ITE 2025 in Hong Kong (12-15 June). The focus was also on coordinating marketing activities with Russian colleagues to promote joint cross-border tours that became possible thanks to the agreement on mutual recognition of visas between the countries. Another topic was the strategy for promoting Belarusian tourism products in Chinese social media and on popular electronic booking sites.

The COTTM 2025 business program included many interesting events. A forum dedicated to attracting Chinese investment in tourism infrastructure drew special attention.

The exhibition was attended by Russia, Egypt, Türkiye, Ireland, Albania, Tanzania, Kenya, Namibia, Uganda, Greece, Mongolia, Peru, Suriname, South Africa, Finland, Germany, Thailand, Nepal, Belgium, Madagascar, Maldives, Tunisia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Dominican Republic, Azerbaijan, Zimbabwe, Republic of Korea, Hungary, Spain and Slovenia.
“Belarus sees COTTM 2025 as an opportunity to strengthen its position in the Chinese tourism market, find new partners and present its tourism opportunities to a wide audience,” the national agency said.