Opinions & Interviews

Belarus launches contest to shape national tourism brand

An archive photo

MINSK, 13 July (BelTA) – Why it is important to create a recognizable tourism image for the country was explained by Director of the National Tourism Agency of Belarus Kirill Masharsky, at a press conference dedicated to the launch of the nationwide open contest ‘The Image of Belarus. A Vision and a Discovery’, BelTA has learned.

According to Kirill Masharsky, a number of countries have long been successfully building recognizable tourism brands. “Successful tourism brands sell not attractions, but emotions, experiences and a way of life,” he said. “Countries do not try to tell the whole story at once. Instead, they choose one strong idea and develop it consistently. The broader the positioning, the more blurred the image becomes.”

In his opinion, what Belarus lacks is not a single iconic symbol but rather the right formula capable of bringing together the country’s many distinctive features into one compelling identity. “Belarus has many vivid symbols: the European bison, the stork, the cornflower, Slutsk belts and castles - but none of them has yet become the very soul of Belarus that would be instantly recognized around the world. The contest is designed to unite everyone around a common idea: Belarus is a fascinating country that we are eager to discover and introduce to our guests. Participants are expected not only to develop a visual identity but, above all, to tell an engaging story that helps explain the Belarusian national identity and present it to the world,” Kirill Masharsky said.

We are considering various options for promoting the contest, including thematic advertising banners. “The goal of the contest is to create a slogan, a verbal association and a visual symbol: a logo - based on Belarus’ historical and cultural identity and the country’s distinctive features,” he noted.

The contest is open to both legal entities and individuals, including foreigners permanently residing in Belarus. The competition will be held in three stages. Entries will be accepted until 1 November. A selection committee will then shortlist up to 20 concepts for an open online public vote. The winner will be determined based on the combined scores of the competition jury and the public vote.

The results are expected to be announced by 20 December. The authors of the top three entries will receive cash prizes of Br10,000 for first place, Br7,000 for second and Br5,000 for third.

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