Every fifth agro-eco-estate financed by Belagroprombank is located in the Vitebsk region

March 18, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Every fifth rural estate in Belarus that has received a loan from OJSC "Belagroprombank" for the development of agroecotourism is located in the Vitebsk region, as reported today at the award ceremony for the winners of the regional competition for the best agroecotourism estate by Oleg Zhingel, head of the Vitebsk branch of OJSC "Belagroprombank". "In the Dvina region, 77 estates have benefited from the bank's credit assistance to organize their tourism business - this is the best indicator in the country," the banker stated. According to him, support for rural tourism, which helps not only the self-employment of peasants but also contributes to the revival of the Belarusian village, will continue. Moreover, thanks to the legislative acts adopted at the end of 2010, not only individuals but also agricultural organizations ready to develop a new direction for themselves - agroecotourism - can become loan recipients. 14 contenders for the title of the best estate in the Vitebsk region took part in the regional competition. The estate "Priozernaya" in Lepel district won in the nomination "Preservation of Belarusian Traditions", the estate "Klennaia" in Mior district was recognized as the most hospitable. In the nomination "Healthy Lifestyle", the estate "Kentavr" (Polotsk district) won, the tourist estate of the farm "Syabry i K" (Orsha district) was recognized as the most harmonious and stylish, and the estate "Rodny Kut" (Gluboksky district) as the most ecological. All of them will represent the Vitebsk region in the republican competition for the best agroecotourism estate. According to the regional department of physical culture, sports and tourism, there are 320 agroecotourism estates operating in the Vitebsk region. In 2010, they received over 12,000 tourists, which is 1.7 times more than in 2009. Revenue from tourism services amounted to Br1.8 billion. For the further development of agroecotourism and the involvement of agricultural enterprises and initiative rural residents in tourism turnover, the regional executive committee has developed the "Five Hundred" program, which provides for the creation of one hundred agroecotourism estates and agro-tourism complexes in the region in 2011-2015. -0-