11 June 2004
Belovezhskaya Pushcha sees sharp increase in tourist numbers
The Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park in western Belarus saw a nearly 100-percent increase in the number of tourists this year, Director Nikolai Bambiza told BelaPAN.
The park attracted just over 60,000 visitors last year as against 53,000 from 33 countries in the first five months of 2004.
Mr. Bambiza attributed the increase to infrastructure improvements. Most tourists want to see Belarusian Father Frost's residence, which opened last year, he said. The management renovated a hotel
in Kamenyuki, is converting a former office building into a hotel with 50 two-bed rooms and refurbishing the local restaurant.
Additional camp sites will be opened for eco-tourists, hunters and fishers. The management hopes to attract at least 100,000 tourists this year and increase that number to 200,000 in years to come, Mr. Bambiza said.
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