Analysis

Number of tourists visiting Belarus visa-free soars

The number of tourists visiting Belarus through its short-term visa-free system increased by 62 per cent during the first seven months of this year compared with the corresponding period of 2018, BelarusFeed has reported.

“Around 174,000 tourists entered Belarus via Minsk National Airport or visa-free zones of the Brest and Grodno regions in the [first] seven months of this year,” said Vitaly Hrytsevich of the Belarusian Ministry of Sports and Tourism, adding that the ministry expects further growth in the number of tourists.

The Belarusian government recently extended its visa-free regime, prolonging the period visitors may stay in the country without visas to 30 days.

The visa-free scheme applies to citizens of 74 countries, including all European Union countries, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US.