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Paris expects more tourists from Belarus
MINSK, 13 February (BelTA) – Paris hopes the flow of tourists from Belarus will increase, Patricia Barthelemy, head for promotion at the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau, told BelTA on the sidelines of the the Destination Paris event.
The French delegation came to Minsk to advertise Paris as a tourist destination. The visit was organized by the France Tourism Development Agency Atout France and the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau with the support of the French Embassy in Belarus. The delegation includes representatives of tourism business, hotels, museums, entertainment industry, shopping, and perfumery. They have already conducted a business workshop for the Belarusian party represented by 40 tour operators and agencies. The delegation’s main objective is to inform Belarusians about Paris’ new attractions and outline cooperation plans.
“I got great impressions about the meetings and talks with the Belarusian partners. We are sure that the number of Belarusian guests in Paris will increase significantly,” Patricia Barthelemy said. “There are two important factors which influence the flow of tourists: direct flights and visa application centers. We have both,” she added.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Belarus Didier Canesse, in turn, said that the embassy issued some 12,000 visas in 2018. The total number of Belarusians who have visited France is much higher thanks to multi-entry visas. The diplomat noted that people do not have to queue to get a visa in the embassy as the process is quite fast.
Head of the regional department of Atout France Inessa Korotkova noted that last year France welcomed some 90 million foreign visitors, 30 million of them went to Paris. The everyday life of the French capital is rich in culture, sport, food and other events and activities. Paris remains one of the major tourist destinations in the world.
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