23000 Belarussian Tourists Visit Bulgaria\'s Black Sea Resorts in 2006

SofiaEcho, 03 July 2007

Nearly 23 000 Belarusian tourists have visited Bulgarian Black Sea resorts in the summer of 2006, Belarusian ambassador to Bulgaria Vyacheslav Kachanov said.

Belarus has no sea outlet and mountain, which makes interest in Bulgaria as a tourism destination huge, Focus news agency reported.

The number of air companies offering flights between Belarus and Bulgaria for summer season 2007 has increased by 20 per cent, Kachanov said.

The mild winter climate in Bulgaria this year led to a decrease of Belarussian tourists wanting to ski in the winter resort of Pamporovo. Only 150 tourists from Belarus came using a charter flight from Minsk to Plovdiv this winter, Kachanov said.

With its virgin forests covering almost one third of the coiuntry's territory, Belarus attracts many tourists from Europe and the Mediterranen region.

The country also boasts 10 000 natural lakes offering water sports and entertainment opportunities.