BELARUS TRAVELS.COM

Sex Tours Save the Belarusian Tourist Industry

noreply@blogger.com (UKACHUKWU CHIDOZIE CHRIS) — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 18:52:00 +0000

"We do not cultivate the idea of sex tourism in Belarus. But if [a foreign tourist] has an interest, let him look for it, meet girls and marry".
This is how the deputy Minister of Sports and Tourism Cheslau Shulha recently answered a question about the growing sex industry in Belarus on a state TV channel.
While the Belarusian authorities are talking about the prospects of sex tourism, the inflow of foreign tourists in general remains low. Belarus mostly attracts Russian citizens who come to rest at health resorts or gamble in casinos. Western tourists are still very rare. They do not want to pay for expensive visas only to find the lack of appropriate tourist infrastructure.
In 2014 Belarus will host the ice hockey World Championship. This high-profile event can boost the country’s tourist industry, as the authorities promise visa-free travel for all Westerners. But without proper deregulation of this sector of the economy the boost will not be sustainable and nothing but sex industry will remain the country's tourist brand.

Why Westerners are Rare in Belarus
Belarus boasts a favourable geographical location. It lies on the crossroads of major international roots from Germany and Poland to Russia and from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea. This location makes it a potentially convenient destination for tourists from neighbouring and far-away countries.
However, the statistics show that the country receives miserable numbers of visitors. Because of the uncontrolled border with Russia it is difficult to assess the exact number of tourists that come to Belarus, but the estimate for 2011 is around 750,000. To put it in a comparative perspective, the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius -- a relatively small city with the population of 540,000 -- alone annually attracts more than 1.5 million tourists.
According to the director of the tourist company BelarusTurService Hennadzi Leushyn, about 80 per cent of tourists come from Russia. This is not surprising, since Belarus has an open border with its eastern neighbour and even no passport control. Moreover, the Russians, unlike Westerners, have no language problems in Belarus, where the majority of the population speak Russian as their first language.

Many Russians come to Belarus to use its growing gambling industry

After the Russian authorities outlawed casinos across almost the whole country, Belarus was quick to offer its service. Many Russians come to Belarus to use its growing gambling industry.
Only 20 per cent of tourists (about 150,000) came from the rest of the world in 2011. Even fewer come from western countries. According to the Belarusian Statistics Committee, in 2011 the highest numbers of western tourists were from Turkey, Lithuania, New Zealand and Poland. Their absolute numbers were very small, varying between 2,000 and 3,000.

Abundant Talk but Little Result
Tourism is a regular issue on the government’s agenda. Several years ago Alexander Lukashenka demanded that Belarus should become a popular destination for tourists from around the world who would bring in lots of hard currency. After that his ministers began to implement various state projects to boost the attractiveness of Belarus for incoming tourists.

The authorities were hoping that Belarusian villages with their rural traditions

and beautiful nature would appeal to hundreds of thousands of foreigners

One of them was the development of agro-ecotourism. The authorities were hoping that Belarusian villages, with their rural traditions and beautiful nature, would appeal to hundreds of thousands of foreigners who prefer quiet rest to city sightseeing. They provided tax and other incentives for those entrepreneurs who wanted to invest in agro-ecotourism.
As a result, in 2011 1576 so-called agro-manors stood ready to accommodate agro-tourists. But the data of the Belarusian Statistics Committee show that this project is not as successful as the authorities had expected. Only 15 per cent of visitors of all the agro-manors in 2011 were from abroad. In the majority of cases (85 per cent) Belarusians themselves use them for holding weddings or other celebrations.
Despite frequent declarations, the government have failed to create even basic tourist infrastructure in Belarus. For example, there are only 34 hotels in the whole country that are certified according to international standards. Only two of them have 5 stars (hotels Europe and Crowne Plaza in Minsk) and three have 4 stars (hotels Minsk and Victoria in Minsk and hotel Luchesa in Vitebsk). At the same time there are very few low-cost hostels anywherein the country (only in Minsk and Brest).
The command of foreign languages among employees of Belarusian hotels, resorts, agro-manors and transport (railway and coach) companies remains very poor. Their websites often do not have English language sections. Furthermore, there are almost no signs in English, even in the capital - all are in Cyrillic alphabet which most Westerners cannot read.

The Visa Wall
Another Achilles heel of the Belarusian tourist industry is the “visa wall”. Visa regimes considerably complicate both incoming and outgoing tourism. Interestingly, nationals of only 19 states can enter Belarus without visas (however, there are specific regulations for each state). These states are the following:

10 member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (excluding Turkmenistan);
Georgia;
Cuba;
Qatar;
Serbia;
Montenegro;
Mongolia;
Venezuela;
Macedonia;
China

For the rest of the world Belarusian visas are quite costly. For example, a single entry short-stay visa for an American citizen costs $160. A UK national will have to pay 75 pounds for the same type of Belarusian visa. And a German national €60.

on 31 May the government further complicated the visa procedure

Moreover, on 31 May the government amended the national visa rules. They further complicated the visa procedure. Previously, all foreigners could get visas upon arrival at Minsk-2 airport. It was more expensive than receiving visas at Belarusian consulates abroad, but it saved lots of time. Now that the amendments are in force only residents of the countries with no Belarusian consulates can apply for visas after they arrive at Minsk-2 airport.
If the authorities really want to turn Belarus into a popular tourist destination the latest visa amendments look utterly strange.

Sex Tourism Develops Despite Anything
Perhaps the only sort of incoming tourism from western countries that is developping in Belarus despite any difficulties is sex tourism. Bad infrastructure and visa routine do not stop sex visitors.

Officially, the Belarusian legislation prohibits prostitution

Officially, Belarusian legislation prohibits prostitution. And from time to time the police crackdown on networks of the sex business. However, the industry thrives. Everyone who has money and wishes for some sexual entertainment knows where to look for it. This kind of service is available for tourists in most hotels as well as in a number of special clubs. According to some insider sources, special sex tours to Belarus are regularly organised from certain Western European states and Turkey.
Sex tourism in Belarus is, of course, not as flourishing as in Ukraine. But it is definitely becoming a sizeable business. And it is not surprising, therefore, that even officials have started talking about this business in public, like a deputy Minister of Sports and Tourism did on state television a week ago.

World Cup Stimulus
In 2014 Belarus will host the World Ice Hockey Championship. It will be the most high-profile sporting event in the country’s sovereign history. No doubt, it will give a boost to the tourist industry. To benefit from this event the government should liberalise the tourist industry and free creativity of entrepreneurs from bureaucratic bondage. Otherwise Belarus will largely remain a sex sanctuary for westerners and a gambling destination for Russians.

How Europeans View Belarus

noreply@blogger.com (UKACHUKWU CHIDOZIE CHRIS) — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 18:51:00 +0000

How interesting is Belarus for Europeans? This was the question held in mind by a group of students of European Affairs in Sciences Po Paris, who have been conducting for already five months a project dedicated to Belarus, 'Бelarus Project'. To find the answer to this question, they have interviewed a good number of young, and not so young, people from Europe and from all over the world.

The survey was completed in the first days of 2012 by more than 233 people. 63% of the respondents, aged between 20 and 35 years, were either from Italy, Germany or France. The rest represented citizens from all the other countries of the European Union. As is common, there were some exceptions: some replies arrived from Russia, Peru, Brazil, Egypt and even from Japan. Three simple questions were asked: why is Belarus interesting, why is it not interesting, and what would you like to find out about it. Here is what people replied.

Not very surprising was the refrain 'I don’t know anything about Belarus', with some highlights from Great Britain such as 'I can’t place it on a map'. In fact, the general impression was that people know very little about this country. Several stereotypes emerged: vodka and beautiful women were of course present, but cold weather and similarity to Russia were also mentioned. Nevertheless, the most popular answer in all categories was politics, with 20% of all replies. Let’s take a closer look.

Question 1: What Do You Think Is So Particular About Belarus That Makes or Can Make People Interested In It?
More than 25% of people replied that they did not know what could be interesting about Belarus. Only 3% proposed the opposite argument, stating that Belarus could be interesting because it is mostly unknown abroad.
In about 21% of replies, the interest of people was captured by Belarusian politics: among them, concerns about human rights and the death penalty, the international isolation of Belarus ('It has still an iron curtain'), but most of all the Belarusian regime, was described in half of the replies as 'the last dictatorship of Europe'.
The majority of Germans were interested in tourism, they asked about language, culture and Belarusian cuisine, but somehow in very general terms. Yet, Grodno (the city) and Belovezhskaya Pushcha (the national park) were mentioned absolutely unambiguously, to our surprise. Some people wrote about Belarusian nature and geography, about the proximity to our sister country, Russia. The latter caught interest due to its influence on the Belarusian economy. Intriguing was that 12% considered interesting the history of Belarus, in particular its Soviet period. Maybe it is high time to build a museum of the Soviet Union in Belarus?

Question 2: What Do You Think Makes People Not Interested In Belarus?
As expected, the majority wrote that Belarus is not interesting because it is unknown. The reasons, however, varied. So for example the French complained about 'lack of media coverage in international press' and Italians spoke about 'lack of tourism'. Besides those who could not find Belarus on the map, there were some quite extreme answers, expressing a 'lack of knowledge of the very existence of the country'.
Another 16% of replies considered Belarus uninteresting because it is unimportant 'either politically or economically'. One third of them described Belarus as nothing special, and one very brave German even went so far to say that Belarus 'is everything but cool'. Our interest was also drawn by the replies that compared Belarus to Russia saying that 'it is almost the same as Russia, but less interesting', or for example that other neighbouring countries (obviously meaning Ukraine) get more attention.
Other responses mentioned again the political situation (11%), mainly attributing the low interest for Belarus to isolation and stability (it is boring if nothing happens), and also economic conditions, together with crime and other social factors. Some other replies referred to geographical reasons, characterising Belarus as 'a small, cold country in the middle of nowhere'. Our team hoped that the answer was written by someone who could not locate Belarus on the map, but was ashamed of saying it.

Question 3: What Would You Like To Find Out About Belarus?
After a bucket of ice-cold water, let’s have a look at what the European neighbours wanted to know about Belarus.
Roughly 30% expressed a will to find out about Belarusian culture, from the language to the food and its history. Particularly interesting was the origin of the name of the country 'Belarus' and the difference of the nation compared to Russia. Tourism has also not been forgotten, as someone from Germany asked: 'Will I be able to travel there without knowing a local language?'.
Besides the position on the map, there were questions about the Belarusian civil society, economic situation and everyday life of Belarusians. Respondents also wanted to know 'Who are Belarusians?', 'Why do they hate Russians?', 'What relationships do they have with European Union and Russia?' and 'How do they fight for their freedom?'

Conclusion
It is obvious that people abroad know almost nothing about Belarus. It is quite surprising to hear Europeans saying that Belarus is small and far. But by far the most shocking is the label of a sad and grey country hanging on it. Europeans see Belarus only as an arena for political disputes: the last dictatorship of Europe. Famous Belarusian hospitality and warm-heartedness were not mentioned even once.
Nevertheless many replies concerning tourism indicate the desire to get to know the country, its culture and originality. Some 10% wrote: 'What is there interesting about Belarus?' or 'Why should I be interested in this country?'. These questions need to be answered by Belarusians themselves, who should take position on how they should be seen from Europe.
By Marta Palombo and Artyom Pugachev. The original version of this article was prepared for the Belarus Project, a blog on Belarus run by Sciences Po students in Paris.

Belarus on track to $500 average salary in 2012

noreply@blogger.com (UKACHUKWU CHIDOZIE CHRIS) — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 17:40:00 +0000

MINSK, 15 June (BelTA) – President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is confident about the ability of the national economy to secure the average salary of $500 in equivalent in 2012. He made this statement as he heard out a report of Chairperson of the Board of the National Bank of Belarus Nadezhda Yermakova on 15 June, BelTA learnt from the press service of the Belarusian head of state.

“The assumptions that we will not be able to increase the average salary up to $500 in equivalent are groundless. Many companies prove these allegations wrong. For example, the average salary in Minsk is nearing $500 and will rise further. Why others cannot do it? They must do it,” the President emphasized.

The head of state noted, “The average salary in the private sector should make up about $700, not $500 this year. The figure should exceed $500 at state-run companies. This should be done in earnest”.

“The talks that we lack something to make it happen are groundless. How come then almost all top executives, specialists and managers of private companies drive a Mercedes? What, they have no money to pay a decent salary to people? They do have it. Let them sell their Mercedes and pay salaries,” the President said.

The head of state also spoke about the state-run sector. “Look how much they spend. They should cut down on the prime cost and raise salaries to a decent level. It is not a fear of something, contrary to what our opposition and yellow press say. The only fear we have is the absence of decent salaries of workers”.

The President stated that the demand to increase the salary should be executed without fail. “Of course, this is the number one task for the Government, but the National Bank should not stay away from it, either,” the head of state said.

He emphasized that the execution of tasks in construction, including housing construction, is just as important. “Those are not secondary issues. We should also come to grips with the financial circumstances of the military, we are making some progress here, but we need to ramp up our efforts,” Alexander Lukashenko said.

Belarus earns well-deserved place on international arena

noreply@blogger.com (UKACHUKWU CHIDOZIE CHRIS) — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 16:55:00 +0000

MINSK, 30 June (BelTA) – Belarus has earned a well-deserved place in the international community, President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said in his message of congratulations on the Independence Day and the 68th anniversary of Belarus’ liberation from the Nazi invasion, BelTA learnt from the press service of the Belarusian head of state.

The President believes it is symbolic that the Belarusian people celebrate these two holidays as one. “We remember that we went to extraordinary lengths to win the Great Victory; it cost millions of lives of fellow countrymen. The heroic fight of our fathers and grandfathers saved our land from enslavement and raised it from ruins to win the right for a peaceful life. Our generation are worthy continuators of the glorious traditions of the past,” the message reads.

“Belarus has passed a difficult path of economic and social development and has earned a well-deserved place in the international community. We maintain growth momentum, provide social support to our people, and continue our efforts to make our country a more beautiful place. We will do everything to make our young state strong and prosperous,” Alexander Lukashenko said.

The President wished Belarusians happiness, health and successful work to the benefit of dear Motherland.

MINSK, 22 June (BelTA) – Belarus has proved a success as a sovereign state, President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with young social scientists in the Modern Belarusian Statehood Museum on 22 June, BelTA has learnt.

“We made most of the chance we got in the early 1990s. Over just two decades – which is a tiny period in historical terms – despite the unbelievable external pressure, we have built in fact a new European country,” the head of state said.

“Our young state has showed that even a small country can make others respect it and pursue an independent foreign policy,” the President said.

“You see the attitude of the West towards us; even the East does not understand us sometimes,” Alexander Lukashenko said. In his words, “It is not about the wrong regime, the wrong president or something else”. “I do not want to make comparisons, but they successfully collaborate with some regimes, because these regimes have oil, money and so on. A small country in the center of Europe decided to become independent? From who? From Russia, Poland or Lithuania which incorporated it before?” the President added.

Alexander Lukashenko has underlined that Belarus has proved a success as a sovereign state. “They will have to keep this in mind. Sooner or later they will have to accept this,” said the head of state.

"Our goal is to create the state we and our children will be proud of,” stressed the President.

Alexander Lukashenko recalled that Belarus’ path to independence was long and difficult. “For centuries our lands passed from one state to another, and Belarusians were subjected to political, economic, and cultural oppression. This all is part of our history,” said the President.

The head of state believes that extraordinary resilience and willpower of Belarusians deserve respect. For centuries they quested for statehood and finally achieved the goal.

“The older generation remembers what Belarus was in the heady 1990s: the economy was in crumbles, the authorities were powerless, and the unemployment and poverty were rampant. The country was actually balancing on the brink of the abyss. Probably, the Lord has saved us. We started to look for a way out, including politically,” recalled the head of state.

“I remember those days when we were writing the Constitution and mulling over the post of the president. Many, especially the elite, wanted the president with limited powers. Everyone wanted a weak president. The president was elected, and I had to modernize the Constitution to take the country out of the dire straits we were in then,” Alexander Lukashenko said.

In his words, a political system, an executive branch, and a parliament were set up in the country.

“I am not going to talk about specifics of the development of our country. Some call it a phenomenon. Let us not brag. Let us just say that we are following our own path. It is for the next generations to judge whether it was the right decision to do. But since there are improvements, this means this is one of the paths we were meant to have taken,” the President added.

Live, Work and Study in Europe(Republic of Belarus)

noreply@blogger.com (UKACHUKWU CHIDOZIE CHRIS) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 17:52:00 +0000

1. Belarus is situated in the center of Europe.
2. Belarus borders on Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and Ukraine.
3. Languages spoken in Belarus; Russian, Belarusian
4. We are agents to Universities in the Republic of Belarus:
5. We co-ordinate university admissions and facilitate issuance of visas
in less that 3 weeks, other things being equal.
6. Our charges are cheaper and we also assist in sourcing cheaper flight tickets.

NB: If you have interest, please contact:

Mr. Ukachukwu Chidozie Christian (08034904431, 08077246974, 08098859925, 08088882339)
Chris and Chris Travels
104, Western Avenue, Ojuelegba Roundabout, Surulere, Lagos.

BELARUS TRAVELS.COM

Sex Tours Save the Belarusian Tourist Industry

How Europeans View Belarus

Belarus on track to $500 average salary in 2012

Belarus earns well-deserved place on international arena

Lukashenko: Belarus has proved successful as a sovereign state

Live, Work and Study in Europe(Republic of Belarus)