International meeting of caravanners.
The international gathering of caravanners will be held in Minsk from April 28 to May 1. About 1,200 people from 16 countries (about 550 motorhomes) confirmed their participation in it.
As a correspondent of the Minsk-News agency reports, this was announced at a press conference on April 20 by Vitaly Gritsevich, deputy director of the tourism department of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism.
Tourists from Germany, Finland, Poland, Russia, Moldova, Latvia and Estonia showed particular interest in the rally.
- The grand opening will take place on April 29 at 12:00 at the Minsk-1 airport site, - said Vitaly Gritsevich. - The location was not chosen by chance: the guests really wanted to see the capital. Prepared for them entertainment- performances by pop artists, folk art ensembles, and dance groups. Facilities work zones will be organized tourism industry: they will be able to try our cuisine, herbal teas, and get acquainted with Belarusian applied arts - straw weaving, pottery, blacksmithing. And if desired, they can book excursions and visit the most iconic tourist sites countries.
In addition, there will be a sauna on wheels, Helipad, children's attractions, laser tag, crossbow shooting range, exhibition of ATVs and vintage cars. You will also be able to ride horses and watch demonstration parachute jumps.
Vitaly Gritsevich noted that such events require minimal investment, but bring enormous benefits for the country and the development of tourism. About 40 campsite parking lots have already been created in Belarus, and work is now underway to improve their infrastructure.
This is not the first time such a gathering has been held: in 2014 it was held in the Krupsky district. Then only representatives of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine took part in it. In 2015, representatives of 5 countries came to the country, in 2016 - 12.
- In recent years, Europe has seen a surge in auto tourism, which, alas, cannot be said about our country., - continued the chairman of the Union of Camping Sites of Belarus Vladimir Rudoy. - According to official data, the number of tourists camping has exceeded the number of those staying in hotels.
Last year we asked autotourists: what attracts them to Belarus. We thought they would say that they wanted to meet cultural heritage country, everyday life, but it turned out that they like communicating with Belarusians. One Pole, who has traveled all over Europe, has come to Belarus five times already and does not hide the fact that he will come again in the future. By the way, if last year 10 crews from Poland took part in the rally, then this year they are expected to be 140.
The organizers of the caravan rally are the Ministry of Sports and Tourism of Belarus, the Minsk City Executive Committee and the Union of Camping Sites of Belarus.
Last Thursday, October 26, a business meeting was held at the Ministry of Sports and Tourism on the issues of caravanning in Belarus. The meeting was initiated by the head of the Union of Camping Sites of Belarus Vladimir Rudoy. The event was attended by representatives travel companies-- “Belarusturist”, “Viapol”, “Ditrib”, “BelarusTourService” and “Camping-Tour”.
Vladimir Rudoy complained that, unfortunately, representatives of agricultural estates and other accommodation facilities in Belarus did not come to the meeting. In the meantime, they, like travel agencies, have a real chance to make money on such a difficult type of tourism as caravanning. In the summer of 2018, caravans will transit through Belarus for the World Cup in Russia. It is already clear that there will be a lot of them. The small number of campsites that exist in Belarus today, said Vladimir Rudoy, will clearly not withstand the load. Therefore, equipped sites with water and electricity are needed - near hotels and agricultural estates - in order to receive and serve a completely new flow of tourists for Belarus. Accommodation facilities can make money on food and animation programs, travel agencies can make money on excursions, visa and other support.
Of course, as always, many organizational issues arise. As I said Director of the Ditrib company Igor Chernozipunnikov, the Smolensk road is essentially closed today to transit foreign tourists, since there are no equipped international checkpoints there. When the Union State was created, they somehow forgot that according to the law Russian Federation crossing its border is possible only at international checkpoints, which we and Russia do not have, and if they appear, then what an alliance this will be! Therefore, as we remember, at one “wonderful” moment Belarus lost transit tourists who prefer not to turn towards Latvia in the Smolensk area in order to get from Belarus to Russia in such a strange roundabout way, but simply travel around our country, immediately following to the treasured Golden Ring of Russia through the Baltic states.
However, during the World Cup, this issue will be resolved - Russia will open temporary checkpoints on the border of Belarus and, following the example of our 2014 Ice Hockey World Cup, will provide visa-free entry for fans.
So, at least during the football season, we will be able to work with transit travelers, including caravanners. As Vladimir Rudoy reported, the website ucb.by was created specifically for caravaners. interactive map Belarus, where every accommodation facility, animation platform, museum, and so on can mark themselves.
As for travel agencies, of course, first of all, they are expected to create routes. These routes and other services should be offered to caravaners, which, according to Vladimir, are not difficult to find. For example, there is such a resource as ficc.org, which unites European caravanning clubs.
According to preliminary data, foreign caravanners are very interested in the region of our part of the Augustow Canal. Frankly speaking, ordinary tourists local infrastructure has almost nothing to offer. In any case, it is absolutely impossible to compare it with the rich infrastructural capabilities of neighboring Polish Augustow. But for caravaners, local “wild” places, provided the sites are equipped, are of considerable interest.
According to Vladimir Rudoy, the transit flow of caravans, which will pass through Belarus in the summer of 2018, is a chance to introduce foreign tourists who are completely unfamiliar with our country to local beauties and attractions. If neither accommodation facilities, including agricultural estates, nor travel agencies take the initiative and offer their routes and programs, well, transit travelers will fly through our country in a few hours, without really understanding where they have been. Some of them will stop for a transit overnight at one of the campsites, including at a site near the National Airport, where parking costs the crew 10 euros per night, and the main flow of tourists simply will not stop in Belarus.
According to Vladimir Rudoy, it’s a shame not to take advantage of the chance to do a little PR for the country as a tourist destination. The same Polish caravaners gathered for the first rally of caravanners in Belarus with obvious caution - in 2016, only 10 Polish crews came to Lake Selyava, where the rally took place. And this year there were already 140 of them! And, according to the Poles, word of mouth worked: a huge number of Polish caravaners appreciated the local beauty, cleanliness and safety and became interested in voyages to Belarus.
At the end of the meeting, Vladimir Rudoy invited travel agencies to “practice” and try to work with caravaners as part of what has already become an annual gathering. Next year, this event will be held either at the “old” site on Lake Selyava (and will be intimate), or the Ministry of Culture will give permission to hold it on a huge site near the Skansen museum in the village of Ozertso, and the gathering will be very large-scale. According to plans, the rally should take place on June 23.
Meeting of caravanners on Lake Selyava, photo - mst.by
Topics: inbound tourism
From April 28 to May 1, Minsk hosts international rally caravaners. As the organizers note, the current gathering is the largest ever held in Belarus; both citizens of post-Soviet republics and guests from Poland, the Czech Republic and Finland take part in it. Yesterday, on April 28, participants gathered at the site of the Minsk-1 National Airport, today at 12.00 a grand opening took place, after which guests will enjoy an entertainment program - performances by national groups and a tasting were organized for them local cuisine, as well as a city tour. As the organizers noted, many participants really wanted to see the capital of Belarus. The site's correspondent, on the eve of the ceremonial events, went to the airport site to talk with the participants and organizers of the gathering about their impressions of our country and the differences between holidays here and in Europe.
Tourists in Belarus like the products, people and cleanliness
The non-spring weather that settled this year at the end of April does not interfere with preparations for the event and does not affect the mood of the participants - this is the beauty of caravanning: you can travel around the world without denying yourself the comfort of home. Despite the fact that this type of vacation cannot be called cheap - a mobile home with all the amenities itself costs a lot and, like any car, requires investment - the participants of the rally unanimously note that they do not want any other way of traveling.
We have been traveling this way for 7 years now - the first camper was in our family for five years, and we are driving this one for the second season,” says Victor, a guest from Kaunas. “Neither I nor my family want to travel any other way.” Children learn languages in this way, as well as history - after all, nothing is more memorable than what you see with your own eyes. When traveling in a campervan, you get to know how people live in other countries, because you drive freely, you choose your travel route and time, how long you want to stay in a particular place. We really like the people in Belarus - everyone is very hospitable - and your products.
Nellie and Andrey came to the rally from Surgut. To get to Minsk they had to cover 4 thousand kilometers. They cordially invite us into their trailer.
We have been traveling by car since the 90s. Seven years ago we bought our first motorhome, then a second, and later exchanged it for a trailer. In terms of comfort, we prefer to travel with a trailer, so we settled on it. When arriving in a city, you can leave the trailer and go explore the city in a passenger car, while the motorhome will have to be parked and then continue to drive public transport. From the north, it’s more difficult and longer for us to get to various club events, and when traveling we have to travel long distances - for example, to get to your border now, we traveled for four days. People rarely travel around Siberia with a caravan, although this direction is also developing here: as far as we know, several years ago there was one motorhome and several trailers in the city. This year the guys traveled from Moscow to Vladivostok. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, the direction, of course, is developing more actively: if in 2006 there was only one caravaner forum in Russia, now there are three or four, where participants from Rostov, Krasnodar, St. Petersburg, etc. communicate.
Nellie offers us tea with Belarusian chocolate, which she has already purchased in retail stalls, and continues the story. For seven years, the couple traveled almost all of Europe. For the night in Russia, travelers stop at truck stops, in Belarus - at gas stations or truck stops, in Europe - at equipped campsites.
“In Europe, campsites are well equipped, there is a shower and a place to cook food. And in Belarus we know several good campsites - on Lake Selyava and near Brest. In Russia, the infrastructure is also developing - if you compare what it was like 20 years ago and now, it’s much better; before there were no “tire fittings” or repairs on the highway, you had to carry everything with you. Belarus has made great progress in this direction - gas stations have toilets and shops, many have showers. In general, we really like your place; you have basic order."
Sergey and Natalya came to us from Zaporozhye with two children. Despite the fact that it is now much warmer in Ukraine and there is a meeting of caravanners, they decided to come to our country for an excursion around Minsk.
In Belarus, we were at a rally in Brest - we really regretted that we did not take bicycles with us. Previously, Ukraine was often the host country, but due to the turbulent situation, international gatherings are increasingly being held in Belarus. It is noticeable that the number of participants is increasing every year, and the movement is becoming popular.
Like previous interlocutors, they travel around Europe more often - last year they were in Poland, the Czech Republic and Austria, before that in Bulgaria and Romania.
We have never traveled by plane or on tour packages - as far as we understand, on those trips you are always tied to the hotel and walk along tourist trails. And so you go, I saw a nice place, at any time you can go out and chat with local residents, stay anywhere for as long as you want.
We asked the couple how travelers are treated at the border, since caravanners often carry a lot of things with them.
This time we crossed the border very quickly, last time at one in the morning we were driven into a hangar and forced to unload all our things. We spent about three hours at the border that time.
As for the infrastructure for motorhomes, Sergey and Natalya believe that Belarus has created very comfortable conditions for travelers, although Europe is still unrivaled in terms of comfort.
Europe lives by this, they have campsites on every piece of land, and they have special places for motorhomes. But you have to pay for it - last year we paid 50 euros per day for a place on a campsite in Austria. Although for this money we received very comfortable conditions - a place in a closed guarded area, a kitchen, a bathroom, a beach. On the other hand, the cost is still not so small, considering that it is almost equal to the cost of a hotel room, and we came with everything of our own. In Belarus, the parking situation is much better than in Ukraine, and here it is still possible to stay in any convenient location overnight stay is free, while in Europe there are restrictions.
A family from Poland came to Belarus for the first time and already managed to see Brest, Mir Castle and the Sapega Palace in Ruzhany. On the way back we plan to visit Grodno and the Adam Mickiewicz Museum in Novogrudok. They have been traveling in a motorhome for 20 years, during which time they have traveled all over Europe.
"From European countries the most expensive parking for campsites in France and Italy. In Greece and Croatia, we paid 20-25 euros per day for parking. In Greece you can stand on the beach for free - there will be no problems with the police. In any country, you can simply camp and, if you don’t use a kitchen, shower, etc., it will cost much less than if you use a campsite with all the amenities.”
In Belarus, according to guests, they come to try our products - sausages, milk, chocolate. Many travelers have noted that they like our people and nature. We also asked travelers from Poland and Ukraine if they had problems paying for roads in our country. As the guests explained, they did not have any problems with paying for roads; they had already encountered a similar payment system in Europe and could not complain about its inconvenience. As the guests from Ukraine explained, they would even be glad to have good, albeit toll, roads.
“The owners of our campsites are not interested in tourists knowing about them”
According to the chairman of the Belarusian association of caravanners, Viktor Orabei, despite the fact that Belarus makes a positive impression on guests, there are enough problems that need to be solved in our country:
For example, the issue with campsites, they need to be developed. We are used to stopping at gas stations, but foreigners want a civilized holiday and security. Today we have about 30 of them, but there are practically no real campsites that foreigners are used to. The only kenping that meets all European standards - there is a place where you can cook food, have a shower, etc. - is in the area of Lake Selyava. State campsites have a lot of shortcomings: for example, good camping there is in Brest, but its trouble is that there is no information about it anywhere. People simply don’t know about it, since there are no signs on the highway. They recently built a campsite in Lida, but there is another problem - it is impossible to pay for it on the spot, that is, you need to take a receipt and go pay to the bank. The general problem of our country is that there is no information about our campsites - we need to post it on European websites so that people find out.
Although not all foreign and Belarusian tourists support the introduction of paid camping in the country, Victor Orabey believes that this is necessary to protect our nature:
With the development of tourism, we simply need to develop infrastructure and open campsites. After all, if everyone can still stand where they want, our forests will turn into landfills, because our people are not used to cleaning up after themselves,” said Victor Orabey.
According to the chairman of the association, foreigners have many questions regarding BelToll road payments.
"In many European countries, a vignette is glued to the glass, which confirms the fact of payment for travel on a toll road. It takes a minute to purchase, you can buy it at any gas station and it is valid for a fixed number of days. Our system is complex: firstly, the device needs to be found, "It takes about half an hour to complete it, then you have to turn it in. There are problems when it doesn't work or a foreigner may unknowingly miss a frame - then he will receive a fine, which will ruin his impression of the trip."
Another problem is the issue of visas.
“In general, it is very difficult for a caravaner to obtain a visa, since this requires a hotel reservation. The caravaner does not reserve a hotel, but he needs to take an invitation. For this gathering, the president gave instructions to give everyone free visas for 20 days. But for caravaners, the question is not to pay money, but to receive an invitation - now for this you need to have friends in our country, receive an invitation from them, go with them to the police, check in. As far as I heard, the issue is being resolved, we hope that this year there will be some progress."
According to Victor Orabey, such events increase the flow of tourists to Belarus and improve its image among Europeans:
Foreigners like to vacation with us, especially now when Europe has become unsafe due to the influx of migrants. They come, enjoy their holiday, share their impressions in their homeland, and next year even more people come to us - for example, last year there were 70 Estonians in Selyava, now 110 of them have come. In addition, this year they are visiting us for the first time The Finns have arrived. Let's hope everything goes well, they like us, and next year the rally will bring together even more people.
News of Belarus. More than one and a half thousand people set up camp for several days almost in the center of Minsk. On the territory of the Minsk-1 airport they settled with entire families, or more precisely, houses.
This is the name of the campers in which tourists from 15 countries arrived in our capital. These days, Belarus is hosting an international gathering of caravanners.
These are car travelers who travel around the world in special trailers.
By the way, all of them received free visas to the country for 20 days, this will give foreign guests the opportunity not to be limited only to the capital, as reported in the “24 Hours” News program on STV.
Elena, like a real housewife, often has a house full of guests. Only this house is not an ordinary one - it is on wheels. Initially, it is difficult to think that this is not an apartment - children's beds, toys, kitchen, household appliances. Elena's husband Sergei is a caravaner, that is, a traveler in a camper - a car with living quarters in a van. The name of the car - Alyonka - reveals the origin of the owner; they just arrived in Minsk from Moscow today.
Sergey Arzamastsev, caravaner:
In fact, the drive is only 7 hours, but we decided to prolong this pleasure. For us, when you leave the house and get into the car -
It already turns out to be a vacation when you travel with your family.
Outside the window, the landscape changes every five minutes, we can afford to stop whenever we want, where we want and for as long as we want, for us this freedom of choice, freedom of decision-making is very important.
There are now about one and a half thousand people like Sergei in the capital alone. Today, an international gathering of caravanners opened on the territory of the Minsk-1 airport. Already the fourth. If in 2014 motorhomes came to us from three countries, in 2015 - out of five, and the next year out of 12, but now caravanners from 15 countries have come to us. For all of them, this is not just an adventure, but rather a way of life.
Andrey Makarov, caravaner (Latvia):
Here we have a window - 3-5 days. We pack up and go anywhere. Where? Spain? To Spain. France? To France, that is, this is independence from nothing.
Germany, Finland, France, Poland, Russia, Moldova, Ukraine, Estonia - the geography of the rally is impressive. Find mutual language in a few words and immediately introduce each other to their tourist traditions.
After all, camping – a camp for autotourists – is a whole culture.
An experienced caravaner, whether he finds himself in Belarus or in any other place, always feels comfortable. A pitched tent should have a gas cylinder and an electric generator.
All rally participants received free visas for 20 days. This is the decision of the head of state. Almost three weeks for communication and, of course, travel around Belarus. Our roads allow it. During this time, they can not only communicate with each other, but also visit attractions throughout the country. And our history, or rather fairy tales, accurately point to the place where the first caravaner appeared. 
Vladimir Rudoy, chairman of the camping union:
A hut on chicken legs, like a self-propelled carriage, is like a prototype of a motorhome, we looked for the place of birth, the time of birth, and decided that the hut is actually our invention,
and we claim to be the place where the motorhome was born.
Just tomorrow at noon, on the territory of the Minsk-1 airport, car residents will solemnly celebrate the birthday of the hut on chicken legs. There will also be a performance tomorrow national cultures and large family sporting events.
It will be an open day for every home in this rocking town.
Their life is a road in a motor home. An international gathering is taking place in Minsk, which brought together more than 1,200 caravaners from 15 countries. An international auto metropolis has grown up on the site of Minsk 1 Airport. By the way, anyone can meet lovers of voyages with their own roof over their heads. What impressed travelers with our country, and how will the network of car camping sites develop in Belarus? About the romance and adventures of motorhome lovers - story Alexander Khorovets.
Indeed, such a motor home has absolutely everything you need for traveling. Sergey Vakhnetsky from Estonia became seriously interested in caravanning 15 years ago. Traveled all over Europe. Thanks to Belarus, his travel map has increased by one more country. And today, 33 crews from Finland came with him to see the blue-eyed one for the first time.
Sergey Vakhnitsky, head of the Estonian caravan club:
“I like Belarus for its hospitality, all the people are open and very friendly. You feel comfortable and safe. I really like it here, and not only me, so many of us came and everyone likes it.”
Experienced caravaner Alexey Strochilo invited his friend Volodya with him for the first time. And he was immediately captivated by the romance of the road.
Another essential attribute of a self-respecting camper is a bicycle. After all, where a mobile home cannot go, this type of transport will definitely pass. As travelers admit, this is an excellent warm-up after a multi-kilometer marathon behind the wheel of a car.
This weekend, the Belarusian capital became home to 1,200 caravanners from 15 countries. On the site of the Minsk 1 airport, an auto metropolis has grown up, consisting of more than five and a half hundred cars. And this is already a good tradition, the organizers note. The first travelers' rally took place in our country three years ago, when representatives of only three countries came to the festival.
Vladimir Rudoy, Chairman of the Union of Camping Sites of Belarus:
“According to European institutions, for two years now the number of vacationers in campsites has exceeded those in hotels, i.e., hotels have taken a back seat to outdoor recreation. And here’s the perspective.”
And although caravanning is not the most budget-friendly form of recreation, it attracts more and more people in Belarus. Today in our country there are about three thousand motorhomes. An appropriate infrastructure is being created for them.
Today everyone will be able to get to know the caravaners better. Today will be the Day of National Cultures, where everyone will discover the traditions and cuisine of campers. Well, on Monday, travelers will hit the road again to get to know our country better. After all, plowing the roads of the world for campers is the meaning of life.
