Belarus is in the top ten in the world by the dynamics of the tourism development

Author: Newsmaker added 24-03-2013, 22:40

There was a peak of employment in the tourism industry in 2012. However, the forecasts of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) for 2013 and the next decade for Belarus are less optimistic.

The real growth of the tourist services (hotels, travel agencies, transport of passengers, airlines, restaurants, rest homes) in 2012 was 11.5% in Belarus. This fact has helped the country to get the 8th position at the WTTC's rating. Experts said that the impressive growth of the sector was affected by Russians’ interest to the Belarusian health resorts and casinos.

Top 10 countries by the dynamics of the tourism development in 2012:

Rank, Country, Market growth of tourist services (%)

1 Qatar 28,3
2 Azerbaijan 24,8
3 Kyrgyzstan 24
4 Tunisia 14,2
5 Montenegro 13,9
6 Uzbekistan 13,7
7 Kazakhstan 11,5
8 Belarus 11,5
9 Chile 11,1
10 Jordan 11

Sector's share in the national GDP was 2.1% - 145th position (among 184 countries) and it is lower than, for example, in Ukraine, but higher than in Poland, Lithuania and Russia.

Despite the projected growth of the market in 2013, it will not be as significant according to the experts of WTTC – it will grow only by 1.4%. And during the 2013-2023 it will be lower than the world average - about 3.3% per year. This is lower than in Russia, Poland, Ukraine and Lithuania. Therefore, the contribution of tourism to the GDP of Belarus for 2023 will drop to 1.8%.

The U.S., China and Japan will save market leadership by 2023, and Macau will remain the leader in the share of tourism in the national economy.

Tourism and related markets.

According to the WTTC, the position of Belarus in terms of growth of tourist and related markets was even higher in 2012. Belarus became the sixth in this ranking with the index 11%.

Thanks to the last year Belarus has reached 132th position in the world in proportion to GDP and tourism industries on which it has an indirect and induced impact of 6.4%. This is higher than in Russia, Poland, Lithuania, but lower than in Ukraine. However, already in 2013, the share of tourism and half-tourism industries in Belarusian GDP will decline to 6.3%, and by 2023 - to 6%.

Globally WTTS predicts revolution - China will be the first, than there will be the U.S. and Japan will get the third place on the market. Tourism and the industries to which it affects in 2023 will provide 89.2% of the GDP of Macau, 88.8% - 87.3% and Aruba - Antigua and Barbuda. Tourist infrastructure and services in China, Montenegro and India will growth more rapidly than in other countries.

Employment in the tourism industry.

It seems that the peak of employment in the tourism industry of Belarus was in the past year. According to WTTS, the travel industry includes 82 500 employees (1.9% of total employment). In 2013, their number will reduce by 2% to 81,000 (1.9% of total employment). The number of people employed in the industry will gradually reduce and reach 72 000 by 2023.

In general, the Belarusian tourism and industries to which it affects, in 2012, employed 255 thousand people (5.8% of total employment). In 2013, the number will reduce to 250 thousand (5.8%), and by 2023 to 231 thousand people (5.7%). This is lower than the global average, the WTTC's report indicates.

Materials: Zautra.by

Share: