VITEBSK, 27 October (BelTA) – A tourism development strategy for the Polotsk, Vitebsk and Braslav tourist areas will be presented at the regular working meeting held within the Belarusian-Latvian project “Bella Dvina — traveling across borders, exploring culture, enjoying the scenery of the region Zapadnaya Dvina/Daugava” (Bella Dvina). The project that will run until 2017 will be presented in Polotsk on 3-4 November, BelTA learnt from chief specialist of the sports and tourism department of the Polotsk Town Executive Committee, project coordinator Igor Zagrekov. One of the objectives of the Bella Dvina project is to develop a transboundary tourism development strategy along the Zapadnaya Dvina-Daugava between Daugavpils, Polotsk and Vitebsk. The meeting will give an opportunity to hold the first public discussion of a plan that can become the basis for promoting tourism in these areas, Igor Zagrekov said. The strategy was developed by Latvian experts jointly with partners of the project. It includes several sections: the creation of tourist products and services, development of tourism infrastructure, tourism management, personnel training, and promotion of the Bella Dvina project. Apart from that, the participants of the working meeting will discuss a marketing strategy for advancing the “Vitebsk oblast” brand to the European tourist market. The Belarusian-Latvian Bella Dvina project is implemented within the framework of the Baltic Sea region — Good Neighbourly Programme – Priority Latvia-Lithuania-Belarus (South). Taking part in the project are the Polotsk Town Executive Committee, the Verkhnedvinsk, Vitebsk, Gorodok, Miory, Rossony, Sharkovshchina regions and six regions of Latvia. The partners of the project include the Latgale Region Development Agency (Latvia), Vitebsk Center for Regional Research, the Institution “Interaction” run by the German-Belarusian House.

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