The Shchuchinsky district tourist information center, which opened recently, is ready to offer its services

Residents of Shchuchin and guests of the city have most likely already noticed the recently appeared illuminated information sign on the building of the Olimp stadium. In August of this year, the Shchuchinsky regional tourist information center opened there.

What will the creative team of center employees, who is not indifferent to tourism and the historical and cultural heritage of our Shchuchin region, do, said its head Ekaterina Bodak.

“Our team is director and tourism specialists Alexander Karasik and Natalya Shvets,” Ekaterina introduces her colleagues. – Alexander and I are historians, we graduated from the Faculty of History, Communications and Tourism of Grodno State University. Ya. Kupala. Natalya is a philologist by training, but has long been interested in tourism and knows a lot about the history of our region. I would like to say that such tourist centers have been created in all regions of the republic, but the number of employees who will work there directly depends on the number of historical and cultural sites located on their territory. There are 42 of them in the Shchuchin region.The most important task facing us and our center is to attract tourists to the Shchuchin region. Since our region is part of a visa-free zone, we hope that we will not have any problems with this, and we will welcome guests not only from our country, but also from abroad.

The Shchuchinsky district tourist information center will work seven days a week, from eight in the morning until eight in the evening. Every tourist who comes here will be able to receive complete information not only about the historical and cultural sites that he can visit, but also about where he can stay for the night, where catering establishments are located, what events he can take part in, what museums visit... In addition, if he is interested in certain types of tourism - industrial, gastronomic, agrotourism - specialists will help him navigate and tell him where to go.

Information will be provided in booklets and indicated on maps.

“Already today, at the entrance to the city near the plane, as well as at the entrance to our center, there is a map of the city of Shchuchin,” continues Ekaterina. – The center has printed materials, including many booklets, which were once developed by the center for tourism and local history. By the way, its former leader Elena Arabchik is today our most important and competent curator. A lot of information is posted on the information tourism portal “Shchuchinsky Krai”, a link to which is indicated on the website of the Shchuchinsky District Executive Committee.

And the energetic creative team has a lot of plans!

“More recently, the center’s specialists developed the quest “On the Paths of Shchuchin’s History” and have already conducted it,” says Ekaterina. – Three teams took part in it. Organization of leisure activities is one of the areas of our work. We will begin developing new routes in the near future. We plan to undergo training and then certification in order to become tour guides and be able to meet guests and conduct excursions for them.Of course, we will constantly update all available information. In addition, we must provide for the organization of recreation for tourists of various categories: some decided to go on a bicycle route, some like to walk, and some are adventure lovers and will be happy to complete a quest in a bunker. We will establish cooperation with various organizations in order to be able to provide tourists with a comfortable stay and acquaintance with the sights of the Shchuchin region. Of course, we are ready to learn everything new and interesting, adopt the experience of colleagues, attend seminars and various exhibitions. I would like to have my own travel equipment to rent out. We will also definitely establish cooperation with local artisans and place their products on our shelves in the center to offer them to tourists.

According to this creative team, and they are absolutely right, in the Shchuchin region there is something to see and a place to relax: among 42 cultural and historical values ​​and 17 agricultural estates, even the most fastidious tourist will find something interesting for themselves.

“We set ourselves a very wide range of tasks and are determined to implement them all,” Ekaterina is sure. – We have the main thing – a great desire to work and the desire to attract as many tourists as possible to our region.

Maybe you too would have an idea to go on one of the tours along the developed routes in our area? Don’t put off getting to know the sights of our Shchuchin region until later if you don’t know much yet. Come to the center - tell us what you are interested in, and all your wishes will be taken into account. Start getting acquainted with your native Belarus from your small homeland.

Anna RUDSKAYA.
Photo by the author.