Events

MINSK, 20 October (BelTA) – Simplification of visa requirements for tourists visiting Belarus was discussed at a meeting between Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Taleb Rifai and Ambassador of Belarus to France and Spain (on concurrent accreditation) Pavel Latushko. The meeting took place in Madrid on 20 October, BelTA learnt from the Belarusian embassy in France.

Taleb Rifai expressed readiness to submit the relevant proposal of the World Tourism Organization to Belarus.

Pavel Latushko and Taleb Rifai took stock of the progress made in the implementation of the agreements reached during the visit of the UNWTO head to Minsk in April 2015. Taleb Rifai praised the results of the talks and shared his impression of Belarus as a country with rich history and culture, possessing a big tourism potential.

The UNWTO Secretary General showed readiness to provide assistance to Belarus in working out the law on tourism as well as the tourism development program for 2016-2020. In the near future the World Tourism Organization will send its mission of experts to Belarus to assess and develop tourism statistics methods.

The Belarusian Ambassador and the UNWTO head discussed possible organization of an international conference on tourism and sport in Belarus. Pavel Latushko and Taleb Rifai agreed to look into the possibility of organizing internship for Belarusian students, representatives of the Belarusian tourism sector at the World Tourism Organization.

An agreement was reached to organize a visit of representatives of the Belarusian Sport and Tourism Ministry to Madrid to discuss cooperation with the UNWTO and the organization of Belarus’ tourism potential presentations.