Shopping tours to Belarus become popular with Russian tourists

13 августа 2022
There is a real tourist boom in Belarus this summer. Pedestrian streets, courtyards, terraces and music venues literally cannot accommodate all the comers.  The classics  parties at the City Hall gather the buffs of live music - the program is dedicated to the anniversary of Belarusian composers of the XX century. The cozy atmosphere of our cities attracts tourists thanks to visa-free travel. And in addition to shopping tours, the share of visitors who come to us on their own has also increased. 

According to the State Border Committee, over 170 thousand people took advantage of the visa-free regime. And according to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia,  the demand for travel to Belarus has increased by 60%. 

Elena Polyakova, a guest from Nizhny Novgorod, came to a shopping mall in the capital city for shopping. She likes Belarusian linen and says that the prices here are 30% lower. Russian woman comes to our country with her family every year. This summer is no exception. She combines vacation at her relatives' house with excursions and, of course, with shopping of "Made in Belarus". 

Popular destinations 

The demand for weekend tours is especially growing now. According to tour operators, shopping tourists go to Minsk from Friday to Sunday. The share of such short trips varies from 10% to 50% of the total number of Russian agencies. 

Alexei Rusakevich, director of information and tourist center "Minsk": 

“The shop tours are in high demand. They are included in the tourist programs. Stolitsa" shopping center has become the most popular, with three levels of stores selling Belarusian goods. Today a wonderful project is implemented by the Belarusian railroads together with the Russian railroads – this is a tourist train "Belarusian Voyage".

Today there are more than 100 sightseeing routes in Minsk. As they say, for every taste. They include bicycle tours, and kayak rafting, and visits to industrial enterprises, and even gastronomic tours. 

The weekend tour program includes not only a visit to Minsk. Guests will be offered trips to Mir and Nesvizh castles, Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the Augustow Canal, as well as historic  towns Ruzhany, Kossovo and Polotsk. 

Tourists share their impressions:

“I was in Minsk back in the 1980s. And now the city is unrecognizable. It is unusually clean and beautiful. And it's so interesting from the historical point of view. It just captivated me.”

Going to Belarus for recreation 

By the way, the audience of visitors from Russia is gradually getting younger, and more and more often 25-45 year old tourists come to Belarus. Besides, the specialists of the travel industry point out that in spite of the appearance of shopping-tours, the main tourist product for the Russians has not changed - health improvement. By the way, Belarusian health resorts are full until October.