Director of the National Tourism Agency of Belarus Kirill Masharsky defined promising areas for tourism in Gomel Oblast during the 20th Gomel Economic Forum, BelTA has learned.

One of the topics for discussion was tourism development, its risks and opportunities.

“Commercialization of tourism is the process of turning tourism resources into revenue-producing assets. To generate revenue, we need to develop infrastructure,” Kirill Masharsky stressed.

Speaking about the untapped tourism potential, he noted that the Pripyat Polesie region has enormous recreational opportunities.

“But it needs to be uncovered. We need to explore the most profitable areas,” Kirill Masharsky emphasized.

“If we talk about the Naroch area, we immediately associate it with health resort tourism, the Braslav Lakes - with agroecotourism. As for Pripyat Polesie, it may have strong potential specifically for cruise tourism. First and foremost, cruises - a format that is currently in high demand and generates solid revenue. This experience should be worked out,” Kirill Masharsky believes.

“Another example is post-Chernobyl tourism. It is a promising trend, and we still need to consider what is lacking there,” he added.

Kirill Masharsky noted that tourism is about impressions, and it is important to take into account these impressions. 

“It is very important for us to receive feedback in order to make the right decisions,” he concluded.

The 20th Gomel Economic Forum brought together representatives from 16 countries. Over the years, the forum has become a recognized and authoritative platform for discussing key issues of international trade, economic and investment cooperation, as well as establishing reliable long-term interregional and cooperative ties.