Belarusian travel companies to open offices in six European countries

According to him, the offices will be opened to boost the export of travel services. This will require creating a travel services distribution network and forming a positive image of Belarus abroad. In the following years Belarus will continue working with the foreign missions located on the border territories (Druskininkai, Daugavpils, Pskov, Chernigov and others) and will open seven regional travel-information centres. Such departments will be also opened in the representative offices of the Belarusian economic entities in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev, Riga and other cities, said the official.

The national programme on promoting tourism in Belarus for 2008-2010 provides for establishing 49 travel companies in the regions of the country, where travel activities are not carried out. By 2011 six travel-information centers will appear in Minsk, Nesvizh, Novogrudok and other settlements. Some 24 info-kiosks will be installed in the Belarusian oblasts (four in each oblast). “As a result we plan to create a travel services distribution network by 2011 that will help us boost the export of travel services 3,4 times as against 2006,” Alexander Grigorov noted.

According to him, in January-October 2007 the export of travel services totaled $39.3 million (up by 58.9% compared to the analogous period of 2006). Today the export exceeds the import by 13.9%, while the task is 5%, he noted.

At the same time, the official stressed, the considerable growth of the import of travel services did not let achieve a trade surplus in this field. At present Belarus had a relevant trade deficit running at $36.5 million (the task was $20 million). In this conjunction the minister noted that as a rule all countries, which do not have an access to sea, have a trade deficit in this sector of economy.

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