MINSK, March 20 (BelTA) – More than 130 farmsteads of the Minsk oblast are ready to receive tourists in 2009, BelTA learnt from Andrei Nizhnik, head of the public council for farm tourism development in the Minsk oblast and owner of the Zarechany farmstead. According to Andrei Nizhnik, every year the number of farm tourists grows. For instance, in 2006 the Minsk oblast had only seven tourist farmsteads, in 2007 – 48 farmsteads and in 2008 – 125 farmsteads. They constantly expand the list of their services – fishing, sauna, tasting of the national cuisine, forest and water trips. Speaking about the farm tourists, Andrei Nizhnik noted that mostly these are the Belarusians who would like to have rest outdoors in rural areas. Sometimes, foreigners visit Belarusian farmsteads as well. The most popular months are November – December. For instance, in 2008, more than 600 people had rest in the Zarechany farmstead. “Farm tourism is one of the most promising businesses. It seems to me that in 1.5 – 2 years, more than 2,000 tourist farmsteads will operate in Belarus,” Andrei Nizhnik noted. According to specialists of the physical culture, sport and tourism department of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee, the Minsk, Pukhovichi, Myadel, Molodechno and Logoisk regions have the greatest number of tourist farmsteads. All in all, as of March 2009, there were 537 tourist farmsteads in Belarus. In 2008, some 39,000 tourists including representatives of 44 countries had rest in Belarusian farmsteads. At present, the Belarusian farm tourism area employs more than 1.1 thousand professionals. БЕЛТА
Written by belta.by
