Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 20 February (BelTA) - Tourism can contribute to the development of the cultural potential in Belarus, Belarus’ Culture Minister Yuri Bondar said in an interview with the SB. Belarus Segodnya newspaper, BelTA has learned.

According to the minister, there are many gaps in the issue regarding the use of tourism to develop the historical and cultural sites. Here Belarus should learn from its neighbors in Europe where cultural tourism is a substantial source of revenue and a source of capacity building in culture. Yuri Bondar said that the Culture Ministry already conducted talks with the Sport and Tourism Ministry on the program of joint action. In 2017 the ministry adding including 13 regional sites he state inventory of tourism resources, including the Nikolaevshchina branch of the Yakub Kolas Literary Memorial Museum which combines four estates: Smolnya, Okinchitsy, Albuts and Lastok in Stolbtsy District, Minsk Oblast. The ministry is also planning to focus on building clusters.

Yet, we cannot say that the tourism potential of the heritage sites is not tapped, the minister said. Anyone can attend museums, castles and other sites and the annual increase in the number of tourists shows the growing interest in the cultural heritage. There are some shortcomings with logistics and transportation, and we will review these issues with the relevant ministries and local authorities, Yuri Bondar said.