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09.10.2008

Tourism Is in the Spotlight

It has been mentioned more than once that tourism brings people together which is particularly topical for both Belarus and Russia since Belarus becomes closer to any citizen of Russia who visited our country. And vice versa, a Belarusian who goes on holiday to Russia also has an opportunity to learn better the country that we are establishing union relations with.

It has been mentioned more than once that tourism brings people together which is particularly topical for both Belarus and Russia since Belarus becomes closer to any citizen of Russia who visited our country. And vice versa, a Belarusian who goes on holiday to Russia also has an opportunity to learn better the country that we are establishing union relations with.

Certainly, a tourist will eventually get the result. And it is doubtful whether he thinks about the fact that the possibility to have a vacation is the result of painstaking labour at all levels of tourist service – from education to a hotel room. As a self-sufficient economic sector on the post-soviet territory tourism got a shot in the arm only at the beginning of the 90s. At present this branch still faces certain difficulties. Fortunately, they are solvable ones. What is particularly pleasant is that these difficulties are bridged over by our countries jointly.

In particular, the Standing Committee of the Union State together with the Union State Parliamentary Assembly, Belarusian Ministry of Sport and Tourism, Ministry of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation as well as the Federal Agency for Tourism held a forum “Tourism in the Union State: Present-Day Challenges which took place in Pushkino (St. Petersburg) from 5th to 7th October.

Among the goals set by the organizers were: solution of personnel problems in tourism, efficient work of mass media aimed to create common cultural and information space, youth policy and tourism. Thereto four breakup groups were organized within the forum – “Belarusian-Russian cooperation in the area of travel industry education”; “Formation and promotion of a joint tourist proposal of the Union State”, “Youth of Belarus and Russia as a party of social tourism in the Union State”, “Importance of mass media for consolidation of Union State cultural and information space”. It is gratifying that the breakup groups included the participants who are nearly related to the topic announced: Vinogradova Olga, Deputy Head of the Department on Social Policy and Information Services of the Union State Standing Committee; Igor Eremin, Deputy Head of the Department on Public Policy and Organization of Tourist Activity at the Ministry of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation; Mikhail Sharshavitski, Deputy Head of the Department on International Cooperation at the Federal Agency for Tourism; Ludmila Sakun, Chancellor of Tourism Institute (Belarus) and others.

Besides that, the forum was attended by the representatives of regional and national mass media as well as the representatives of regions who demonstrated the potential of their regions in tourism sphere.