Pilip Hulyi

Chairman

Republican Union of Tourism Industry (or Belarusian Touristic Union)

Pilip Hulyi, the Chairman of the Republican Union of Tourism Industry (or Belarusian Touristic Union), analyzes the key trends of the upcoming season.

The traditional routes – Turkey, Egypt, the UAE, and Georgia – retain their leading positions. Oman is of great interest, especially in combination with destinations in Southeast Asia. The shortage of external offers is offset by the growth of domestic tourism and trips across Russia. European tours through the airports of Vilnius and Warsaw, as well as bus tours, remain available for Belarusians.

Compared to the crisis years of 2022-2023, the current risk situation can be estimated at 7 out of 10 points. The main difficulties are the shortage of air transportation, flight restrictions, visa difficulties, and competition with digital aggregators.

The tourist market is represented by three main categories: premium customers who choose VIP packages, the main segment focused on the optimal price-quality ratio,

budget tourists for whom the main criterion is the minimum cost.

Despite the digitalization of processes, personal connections with hoteliers remain very important for travel agents. The ability to quickly resolve issues is an indicator of professionalism. Continuous learning is a prerequisite for competitiveness. Live events are preferable to online formats, although the latter are useful as a reference resource. Digital tools are important, but they should not replace the main operational activity. Audience coverage analysis remains a necessary element of the work. B2B interaction is of particular value.

Belarus’s travel industry demonstrates sustainability in the face of change. The combination of traditional approaches with adaptation to new realities makes it possible to remain competitive in the international market.