Foreign tourists have booked seats on the cruise ship "Vitebsk" for several weekends

October 9, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Vitebsk newlyweds became the first passengers of the "Vitebsk" pleasure boat, and foreign tourists have already booked seats for several upcoming weekends. Today, a solemn and long-awaited ceremony of launching the boat onto the waters of the Western Dvina took place in Vitebsk, reports a BELTA correspondent. Chairman of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee Viktor Nikolaikin considers today's event significant for the city and the region. "With the operation of the 'Vitebsk' boat, the Western Dvina is becoming navigable again," he said, opening the festive event. In addition, the appearance of a pleasure craft will contribute to the development of the tourist infrastructure of the regional center. The cost of the boat is Br1.4 billion. As Larisa Petrovskaya, director of the Ilva travel agency, noted in an interview with a BELTA correspondent, this year the company has recorded a significantly increased interest in Belarus from Russian tourists. If about six groups travel abroad monthly, then about a dozen enter the country. According to the interlocutor, Russian companies gladly responded to the offer to organize tours with boat trips. "Until the end of navigation, all upcoming weekends are booked by tourists from Moscow," stated Larisa Petrovskaya. And on the first day of the boat's operation, the city executive committee gave all citizens the opportunity for a free ride from Victory Square to the Park of the Soviet Army and back. The first honorary passengers were newlyweds Alexey and Elena Korolev, who, along with their parents and guests, took a pleasure cruise. The passenger boat "Vitebsk" can carry about fifty passengers on board. They have access to the upper deck and the stern. The overall height of the boat is 5.7 m, length - 25.5 m, width - 5.5 m, draft - 0.55 m. The boat belongs to the light class and is designed for navigation on small and shallow rivers. An undeniable advantage of the "Vitebsk" boat is its silent engine operation. Without additional refueling, the vessel can travel 100 km. According to Viktor Brutsky, director of the Pinsk Shipyard and Ship Repair Plant, this is the best boat that has ever left the plant's slipway. It took six months to manufacture. The vessel was transported from Pinsk to Vitebsk by road. The route passed around the M1 highway, so the carriers had to travel over 1,000 km.