Belarus reports surge in Russian tourists

July 5, BPN. Belarus saw a surge in Russian tourists in the first five months of this year, a tourism official has said.

Iryna Varanovič, a department head at the tourism ministry, said the number of Russian visitors increased by 173 percent from January to May compared with the same period last year. She spoke at a meeting with a delegation from Russia’s Novgorod province, according to TASS.

Varanovič said Belarus was developing tourism ties not only with Moscow and St Petersburg, but also with other Russian regions.

She said Belarusian sanatoriums, which offer health and wellness services, were 91 percent full and hosted 5,000 Russians.

In April, Deputy Sports and Tourism Minister Aleh Andrejčyk said Belarus welcomed nearly four million tourists last year, mostly from Russia. He said that tourism export revenue totaled $180 million in 2022, with 97 percent coming from Russian visitors.