How to organize green tourism. Development of a draft business plan for the development of the Malinovka agricultural estate

It is difficult to surprise a Russian tourist, because many residents of the country have visited various resorts of the vast state. Therefore, sea adventures and holidays at ski resorts have long ceased to make the hearts of some of our fellow citizens beat faster. Such recreation is being replaced by rural tourism - a unique way of recreation that includes unity with nature, exciting travel and an extraordinary approach to each tourist. This know-how requires significant investment, but is a very profitable branch of business. And while people still feel the excitement and desire to spend a vacation in the countryside, you cannot miss this chance and earn a lot of money from a startup. This article presents a business plan for rural tourism with all the features of the industry and step-by-step implementation of the project.

Market analysis

Recently, the prospects for rural tourism have been growing. Today, this niche occupies up to 20% of the tourism market in the world. However, the situation with agrotourism in Russia looks somewhat different. Its share in the tourism sector barely reaches 1%. Although the potential base for market growth and the vast territory of the Russian Federation, which can serve as a support for rural business, make it possible for the active development of ecotourism in our state.

The most promising regions for the development of agrotourism on Russian territory are the Altai, Kamchatka and Khabarovsk Territories, as well as the Republics of Karelia and Kabardino-Balkaria. However, the potential is not limited to them.

Despite the country's rich natural resources, Russians rarely visit national parks due to poorly developed ecotourism infrastructure and lack of funding.

The total annual income from agritourism in Russia is $12,000,000, which is a thousand times less than income from ecotourism in America.

Nowadays, a trend has been noticed in the development of rural tourism not only at the business level, but also at the federal level. After all, the international community considers the Russian Federation as one of the promising states for the development of agritourism due to the rich nature and large natural reserves in this territory.

The following advantages of rural tourism development can be noted:

• Creating jobs for the rural population.
• Increased investment for the benefit of nature.
• Opportunity to obtain work skills in the field of tourism and nature conservation for the rural population.
• Production of ecological products.
• Development of crafts.

To realize all the prospects described above, it is necessary to involve qualified specialists in this industry in the work process, to develop a non-standard and in-demand list of services provided for tourists. In addition, a flexible pricing policy is needed to attract visitors from different walks of life.

Registration

First of all, the implementation of a business plan requires the official registration of a startup. Therefore, the entrepreneur is faced with the question: is it really necessary to choose the organizational and legal form of activity?

You can do without registering an individual entrepreneur only in the following cases:

• If the entrepreneur permanently resides in a rural area.
• If you have your own agriculture.
• If there is a personal residential building to accommodate travelers (the residential premises must comply with established sanitary and hygienic standards and technical requirements).
• If it is possible to conduct tourist excursions of an educational nature - natural or architectural.

In all other cases, registration as an individual entrepreneur is a mandatory procedure. In addition, a novice businessman should take care of choosing the taxation system on which the enterprise will operate. Preference should be given to the 6% simplified tax system, which will allow you to pay taxes at a rate of 6% of revenue and provide the opportunity to take advantage of the tax holiday.

Tourist destinations

There are several types of tourists on whom the choice of a tourist destination for an organization will depend. As an example, a client interested in nature will be captivated by exploring various natural beauties, so he will not need a high level of comfort - a bungalow with a sleeping place, the windows of which overlook the shore of the lake, will suffice.

The sports tourist audience is more likely to prefer active recreation (quests, mountain climbing, etc.) of an adventure nature. Such clients are aimed at more comfortable conditions - medium and even high level. Cultural tourists will be interested in historical sites and will need a high level of comfort.

The most common type of tourists are the so-called “hunters” who will need a minimum level of comfort and the opportunity to go fishing or spend time hunting in the forest.

Based on this, we can conclude that agritourism should be aimed at familiarizing clients with the nature of a particular region and providing the necessary knowledge of environmental topics, aesthetic and sports recreation. At the same time, the main target audience expects a vacation with an average level of comfort. This means that our project will be aimed at tourists with average incomes and their temporary accommodation in nature with the necessary basic amenities.

Services

The organization will offer its visitors the following range of services:

• Cycling (standard bicycle transport, tandem).
• Water adventures (kayak, boat).
• Horseback riding (requires a contract with a stable, a walking route and an instructor).
• Fishing.
• Hiking in the forest, mountains (a guide or instructor is required).
• Collecting plants, mushrooms, berries and fruits (collections are currently on sale).

The goal of most tourists who choose a vacation in the countryside is to take a break from the bustle of the city and plunge into the natural world. Therefore, clients’ accommodation should be comfortable due to the possibilities of rural tourism - without pomp and expensive trinkets.

You should limit yourself to living in a wooden hut and eating organic products. The advantage will be serving national dishes of a particular area, conducting rituals and getting to know traditions.

Selecting a location

When choosing a location for ecotourism, the following factors must be considered:

• The base should be located close to a transport intersection so that the route to the intended vacation spot does not discourage tourists from returning here again due to long wanderings and searches for “that same” camp site.
• The location of the base should be picturesque, and the air should be clean, since tourists focus on an environmentally friendly place of recreation and the opportunity to improve their health, to change the hasty city life to a quiet, cozy place.
• The area must comply with all existing rules and regulations - from the fire inspection to the sanitary and epidemiological service.

Of all the possible accommodation options for tourists, preference should be given to wooden bungalow houses. Compared to the tent option, such a place of residence will cost the startuper more. However, unlike tents, tourists can live in houses all year round. And although the houses cannot offer tourists any special civilizational benefits (internet, gas), here you can immerse yourself in the special atmosphere of nature in typical rural conditions.

Building a base at first will cost the entrepreneur more than rent. This business plan for rural tourism with calculations involves registration of a land plot, which will cost approximately 250 thousand rubles. Estimated monthly deductions are 40 thousand rubles. The cost of construction work will be about 500 thousand rubles.

After the project has paid off, a businessman can think about expanding the base and improving it - building cottages and purchasing tent camps in order to attract different segments of the population.

Equipment

Personnel composition

Particular attention should be paid to staff recruitment. Each employee must be a qualified specialist in his field in order to avoid troubles in production. Don’t forget about the employees’ ability to establish contact with clients and conduct a relaxed dialogue in a friendly manner. Employees must be independent and proactive. The desire to make your own contribution to the development of the organization will be an advantage for potential employees of the enterprise.

The average salary of employees will be:

Marketing

Our marketing strategy will use the following advertising methods:

• Promotion in the most popular social networks - Odnoklassniki, VKontakte, Instagram.
• Placement of contextual advertising in Yandex and Google.
• Promotion of tourism topics on Russian forums.
• Creation of a website indicating information about the services provided and their prices, a gallery with successful photographs of the base, a place for comments from satisfied visitors (3D tours of recreation centers are now popular, which can be used advantageously in your activities).
• Establishing partnerships with travel agencies - for a certain amount, travel agencies will offer clients holidays at our base.

Financial plan

Start-up costs

Monthly expenses

The starting investment in the business will be 1,536,800 rubles.

Income

Income from rural tourism depends on the attendance of the base. Even when calculating its capacity up to 50 people, 100% attendance should not be expected. Therefore, when calculating profitability, we will rely on real figures - about 400 visitors per month.

Daily rent of a house will cost 500 rubles per person. In addition, the tourist will use additional services every day - meals, horseback riding and boat rides, etc. This means that the average customer check per day will be up to 1,500 rubles.

Estimated monthly income: 400 people. x 1500 rub. = 600,000 rubles.

Estimated net profit from rural tourism per month: 600,000 – 222,000 = 378,000 rubles.

These indicators are most relevant in the summer. In cold seasons, the base brings less profit. However, during this period it is possible to reduce the number of employees and thereby increase the profitability of the business. That is, the approximate monthly profit from ecotourism will be about 200,000 rubles.

Under favorable conditions, the payback of the business will be up to 2 years. However, rural tourism often pays for itself in 3 years or more.

Eventually

This business plan for rural tourism is a chance to take a leading position among entrepreneurs in this market in the wake of the popularity of ecotourism. Of course, the costs for premises and equipment are high, but the income received from the project fully justifies the money spent.

What else is good about the idea of ​​rural tourism? This industry can be developed and supplemented with other types of services. For example, in order to increase the profitability of a project in the winter, you need to think about purchasing equipment for skiing. In the fall, picking mushrooms and medicinal herbs can attract a flow of customers. An orchard can bring additional profit in the summer, and growing vegetables in a greenhouse can bring year-round benefits.

The scope for imagination in such a business is enormous, the benefits from it are significant, and the income is great.

– this is a rather complicated question. And if there is no developed transport infrastructure, then it is practically unsolvable. The same products grown on the ground cannot be sold, since they cannot be delivered to the consumer. Rural tourism is a different matter! This idea is interesting in every way. Let's take a closer look.

What is the meaning of the idea for a vacationer

What is rural tourism? This expression refers to a certain type of recreation for residents of megacities, during which they take part in agricultural work. That is, city dwellers go to the countryside to breathe air, eat fresh natural products, and at the same time try to live a completely different life - rural. It must be said that this idea, on the one hand, is simple, since many people buy dachas for this very purpose, on the other hand, it expands the possibilities of “vacationers”.

This means that rural tourism is not just a trip to a suburban area, but an opportunity to visit other countries, get acquainted with the life and way of life of other peoples. What distinguishes this from other types of recreation is the opportunity to fully become immersed in a way of life that is inaccessible to a city dweller, to feel like a full-fledged resident of the village.

Benefits for the host

Here it must be said that the idea gives rural residents literally unlimited opportunities! Developing your own business in rural areas is very difficult. Not because there is a lack of hard work or resources. Rather, due to the lack of a consumer. For a successful business, you need a constant influx of people willing to buy its result, otherwise the idea will not pay off.

Thus, rural tourism becomes a “lifesaver” for those who are actively involved in building their own business. But that is not all! Who would refuse extra labor! Only a peasant who has a lot to do and time is running out can understand this. And if these “hands” also pay for their accommodation... Such a rural business becomes not only profitable, but also enjoyable! The peasant (owner) receives the following benefits: profit from tourists, help with the farm, an influx of new communication and information. This is a great example of a business idea from scratch in a rural area.

A little history

Rural tourism originated in Europe. This was due to the desire of people with little money to relax in nature. At the same time, they wanted to get all the “delights” of expensive hotels together with the pleasure of feeling like the “owner” of a plot of land.

To satisfy the demand, those who wish were offered accommodation with villagers' families for a reasonable fee. I liked the service. Clients now include not only families with low incomes, but also young people, especially students, people seeking solitude and a natural life. Demand for rural holidays has not fallen for many years, bringing up to twenty percent of gross tourism income in some European countries.

Agritourism in Russia

The idea, despite its promise, has not yet found mass development in the country. It should be noted that the Kaliningrad region was the first to practice it (to invite foreigners). Due to its sufficient popularity among esotericists, Altai joined it. It is believed that this particular area of ​​the country will become the most promising in terms of the development of rural tourism.

This is due to the fact that many people from all over the world want to live in this modern Mecca. And in general, Siberia now seems to be one of the best places to implement a business idea in rural areas. This territory is sparsely populated, but there are a lot of people all over the world who want to settle here (at least temporarily).

Signs of rural tourism

This is considered a type of recreation outside the city, completely environmentally friendly and beneficial to local residents. That is, there are three signs: in the village, without harm to nature, useful for the economy. It is necessary to create conditions for the tourist so that he can comfortably enjoy the chosen type of recreation. That is, in the area where this type of service is developed, a special infrastructure is created.

It includes places of residence, transport, places of “work”, shops, cafes and so on. Tourists are called “guests” here. They are trying to create completely home conditions. In addition, psychological comfort is an integral part (if not the main one) of this type of recreation. Often people travel not so much for impressions and physical activity, but for “rest of the soul.” It is known that in rural areas communication is more open and sincere, which has a beneficial effect on the nervous system of guests.

Features of rural tourism

This type of business is quite profitable for municipal authorities. It does not require government investment, and the return, if properly organized, will be decent. The only thing that may be required from the budget is the construction (repair) of roads. But this is already their responsibility. The rest of the infrastructure is created by business owners. There are some risks.

Thus, an excessive influx of tourists can contribute to the pollution of the area (cars, garbage, etc.). This problem can be solved. The construction of transport service enterprises, as well as paid parking lots, may be another idea for villagers or municipal authorities. True, such a business in rural areas will only pay off if there is a large influx of guests.

What can we offer tourists?

It must be said that guests come most often in the summer. At this time, they are offered a number of pleasures that they are deprived of due to their urban lifestyle. Among them:

• the regularity and silence of village life;
• vegetables, berries, herbs straight from the garden;
• walks in the open air;
• the opportunity to drink water from natural sources;
• swimming in natural reservoirs;
• work on the ground;
• animal care;
• fresh milk and meat;
• individual approach to each guest;
• the opportunity to relax with your pets;
• participation in folk festivals and entertainment;
• homely atmosphere and much more that nature generously gives.

In the fall, there are people who want to learn how to harvest and make homemade preparations, dry herbs and berries. And all the townspeople simply dream about mushrooms! Thus, rural tourism can become the most popular type of recreation in the world. It lacks stronger advertising. But this is a matter of time.

Where to start (required conditions)

For rural people who have no other source of income, rural tourism is becoming increasingly attractive. The business plan for the development of such a business is not too complicated (at least at the first stage). But it still has some mandatory conditions.

It is necessary not only to be passionate about the idea, but to have some “start-up” capital. Fixed assets: land, a house suitable for receiving guests, transport (car, boat, etc.), pets, vegetable garden or garden. For the first time, you will be able to allocate part of your own living space. It must be equipped with a separate entrance. You need to take care of the dining room, the place where guests will eat. It should be comfortable, spacious and cozy. You will have to prepare food in a separate, specially equipped room. Please note that special services are monitoring this issue.

It is advisable to have a pond, forest, and meadows nearby. That is, the area that would be attractive to tourists. Mandatory conditions also include the desire and ability to work, communicate, and learn new skills (even professions). It is necessary to take into account that guests will need to be taken care of as family members, cooked, cleaned, and entertained. This is serious and hard work.

Desirable conditions

Once you decide that this type of activity is right for you, consider the following. Business ideas from scratch in rural areas have not only mandatory conditions for implementation. There are also intangible resources that you need to have in order to make your tourist area competitive. What is meant? Guests will have to not only be received, but also entertained.

This requires skills in organizing folk festivals, knowledge of local traditions and rituals, mastery of crafts (any task that is done by hand from natural materials), and so on. Guests will be grateful if you sometimes tell them about the history of the area and cultural features.

This is not as paramount as material resources, but it greatly affects competitiveness. It is advisable to create your own corporate style. These could be ethnic adventures or fun holidays. Choose the activity that you like. Then it will be much easier to interest guests in it.

How to organize a reception

To organize your stay, you will need a separate room (or building). Typically a house (or part of it) with a separate entrance is used. The room should be equipped taking into account the comfort of the guests. That is, you will need to take care of beds, bedding, and dishes.

A necessary condition is the presence of a TV, computer (with Internet), telephone connection. Do not forget that rural tourism focuses not only on locals, but also on foreigners. Therefore, you will need conversational skills (minimum English). In addition, you will need to feed your guests. To do this, you will have to master the dishes of not only the local, but also some other cuisines (not everyone will agree to a “country” table).

In this regard, there is a need to have a supply of food. It must be selected in such a way that guests do not feel inconvenienced. It is advisable to inquire about their wishes in advance. Please note that unfavorable reviews (there are plenty of people who like to write them on the Internet) can ruin all your efforts.

The main condition is to respect the interests of the guests

For a business to succeed, you need to be able to attract a client. All marketing textbooks talk about this. Since rural tourism puts home coziness and comfort at the core, creating an atmosphere of benevolence and good nature becomes the first condition for success.

Guests should feel welcome and loved. You need to be able to accept essentially strangers so that they feel not just “buyers” of services, but members of your family. To do this, you need to learn behavioral flexibility, the ability to prevent the development of conflicts in the bud, and develop the ability to understand what your interlocutors want.

Some guests will need additional furniture (maybe toys for the children). Others will want a lot of excursions. In any case, all guests will walk around the village and communicate with the local population.

And in order for this not to turn into a problem, you will have to come to an agreement with your neighbors, maybe involve them in providing additional services (fishing, holidays, excursions). Since rural tourism involves not only relaxation, but also work, you need to plan in advance what you will offer your guests.

There is no need to put them on heavy and dirty work without prior agreement. And it is not customary to demand the “norm” from guests. It is best to give them the opportunity to try themselves in the types of work that they choose for themselves. But this requires patience and the ability to teach.

Rural tourism is a promising direction. Its development does not require huge capital investments at the first stage. You can start with existing resources, and only then build up momentum. At the same time, state registration of such activities is mandatory. It will be necessary to comply with all legal requirements regulating the reception of guests and their stay in the local territory.

They want to welcome tourists; in addition, agricultural enterprises are exploring a new direction. And although it will be difficult for agrotourism complexes to compete with estates in cost and level of customer care (the motivation of hired staff is lower than that of the owner of the house), each tourism product will find its consumer. One of the founders of rural tourism in Belarus - owner of the Podkostelok estate Eduard Voitsekhovich- spoke about income, competition and the philosophy of a man who looked at a holiday in the village through the eyes of a businessman.

About Polish origins and “Sovietness”

— In Poland, rural tourism originated much earlier than in Belarus. There is no need to be ashamed of this. We have a similar territory and climate. You just need to learn from what has already been done in Poland. No need to reinvent the wheel. At the same time, we can always improve something. But the “Naroch” experience associated with the development of tourist centers and recreation centers, in my opinion, represents stupidity and “sovietism.”

Rural tourism originated in Belarus at the beginning of the millennium. Then everyone was helped by Valeria Klitsunova, who had practical experience, and Evgeniy Budinas, who had a certain influence. In 2002-2005, the owners of the estates worked unofficially. But in 2006, Decree No. 372 “On measures for the development of agroecotourism in the Republic of Belarus” was issued - one of the most liberal in the country. Such legislative preferences for the development of rural tourism, which exist in Belarus, cannot be found anywhere else in Europe.

About money and working for “uncle”

— To attract people to rural tourism, we tried to hold seminars, but nothing worked. Then my wife Alla and I bought a rural house, equipped it, started making money and showed by our example that the business model works.

Now rural tourism in Belarus is a full-fledged business model. We show how to lay logs, create an interior, and receive tourists. I tell everyone that my wife and I receive about $20 thousand a year from the rural estate. But here you need to give your all, and not like getting a job and doing nothing. We are used to working for “uncles,” but I want to wean Belarusians away from “uncles.”

On the role of cheap loans

— When the agritourism lending program was just launched, we actively supported it. And then we had a disaster: a rural house burned down. It would seem, who else, if not us, should give a loan for the restoration of the estate? We fought for two years, but never got anything... Moreover, there were various reasons. One commission came and said: “You have no living conditions.” Then another one arrived, who agreed that we should definitely be given a loan. Moreover, we were one of the first in this area. As a result, we restored the house at our own expense.

Why has Belagroprombank tightened the conditions for recipients of loans for the development of rural tourism? They say that it was not so simple there.

About random people in business

— Among the owners of rural estates there are random people. But they “fall off” quite quickly. Rich investors in rural tourism must also exist. But the state should apply a different tax policy to them.

In the case of a small family business, even with low taxes, the money still remains in the country. After all, you need to buy televisions, refrigerators, and sofas for your estate. That is, you still spend money within the country, buying Belarusian goods.

You have to be honest: if you have a big business, then your tax rates should be higher. In my opinion, large enterprises, with their large incomes, will hinder the development of rural tourism among the local population.

About taxes and income

— If they tell me to pay more taxes, then I will pay. Believe me, I'm not afraid of taxes. But we must understand what to pay them for. Let's develop this direction and let people earn money, and then we'll charge them a penny.

Last year we reported to the tax office that we earned 170 million rubles. As a rural resident, this seems like a significant result to me. That is, they paid 100 thousand rubles as tax, but earned 1.7 thousand times more. I am talking about this specifically so that other rural residents will not be afraid to engage in this type of activity.

About tourists and passionate hunters

— Tourists from Minsk mainly come to our rural estate. Although next to us there is a complex “On the Blue Lakes”, where Russians often come. Foreigners, including Americans, often visit our estate. And Ukrainian hunters are completely ready to “hug” with us.

All tourists have different preferences. Our tourist needs tranquility, beauty, nature and culture. We need to talk to tourists and treat their wishes as human beings.

About infrastructure and promotion

— The state should put up tourist signs near rural estates. This will be useful: for example, at least 10 visitors came to our “sign” in a year. But the development of access roads requires a lot of money.

About the idea of ​​rural tourism

— The village must have alternative sources of income. Rural tourism is one of them, but it can only involve 3-4% of the local population. Others must engage in agriculture, processing, trade, and provide various services. Everything must be interconnected. We must think about people, about how to give them money.

About the “Komarovo universe” »

— A Center for the Development of Rural Entrepreneurship is being created in Komarovo, which won a European project worth 800 thousand euros. We want to change the psychology of rural development in Komarovo. Moreover, rural tourism is just one example of how this can be done. We are creating a business incubator, a store, a service station, a cheese factory, a sausage center and even a hotel in Komarovo.

We will equip the estate of Count Strazhensky into a business center with a conference room, a hotel and a restaurant. Komarovo will provide tourists with freedom of choice: relax in the fresh air, learn how to cook sausages and cheeses, ride a bike, kayak, etc.

All these services will be provided by villagers: one person will conduct an excursion, another will take a boat ride, a third will organize a bicycle trip. In addition, we have developed a route “From Vilnius to Polotsk - along the Starovilensky tract.”

About competition in agritourism

— SPK will not make money on the creation of agrotourism complexes. It's all about the essence of the business. Judge for yourself: in order to prepare for the arrival of new guests, my wife and I often have to work until late at night. How much should a hired worker be paid to work at such times?

In addition, will the SEC be able to provide the same comfortable conditions? After all, if there is a power failure in my estate, I will immediately get into the car without emotion and come to solve the problem. How much will a hired worker need to be paid in such a situation?

In addition, only a private owner will be sensitive to every detail, such as a clean tablecloth and a comfortable bed. In a rural estate you need to be flexible: offer the tourist what he wants, and not what is agreed upon and standardized. Not a single state-owned store or restaurant will operate like this, and if they don’t, they simply won’t withstand the competition.

I am ready to compete with any SEC. Even if they invest even a billion dollars, it’s still unlikely that they will succeed in anything worthwhile. You can make many objects, but small in size, and this will be better than building huge complexes. The cost of hosting tourists in a rural estate will always be lower.

Also read

Now everyone who has a house in the village will be able to receive guests at the estate. The Presidential Decree “On the Development of Agroecotourism” has removed almost all barriers: from now on there is no need to change the purpose of the site - you can purchase it for personal farming, you can build guest houses, hire workers, hold weddings, banquets and corporate events. Inspired by the innovations, I decided to open my own estate. The chairman of the board of the Belarusian public association “Rest in the Village”, Valeria Klitsunova, helped me with this.

photo of the Belt

From journalists to businesswomen

My parents bought a house in Disna, Vitebsk region. Excellent location: near a river, an ancient park, an area of ​​25 acres and an orchard. Laughing at my initiative, my mother handed over the reins: “Open the estate.” Valeria Klitsunova, who has visited these areas more than once, likes the idea:

- I see you are determined. So you can register in Disney and start registering as the owner of an agricultural estate. To do this, you don’t have to be the owner of the property - you can receive guests in the house of close relatives. Start by paying a fee for carrying out activities to provide services in the field of agroecotourism; today this is one basic amount. Then notify the district executive committee that you plan to conduct business. He will submit the documents to the tax office, and you will be assigned a taxpayer number. Don’t be surprised, although the owners of estates do not pay taxes, they must report on their activities for the past year no later than January 10: they provide contracts concluded with tourists.

We are not potato pancake land

The registration procedure takes about a week. Apparently, opening the estate will be easier than attracting guests. Valeria Anatolyevna picks up my thought:

– The first guesthouses appeared in our villages back in 2002. Back then they operated as mini-hotels. Nowadays no one will go just to sleep in nature. The tourist needs to be interested. Popular estates offer something unusual: felting felt boots, folklore and ritual festivals, hippotherapy or apitherapy. I'll give you a hint: our culinary niche has not yet been filled. Villagers have every opportunity to prepare dishes from organic products. And if they can show the guest the cooking process and invite them to participate in it, then that will be wonderful. Gastronomic tourism is gaining popularity all over the world, but we ourselves know so little about our national cuisine that it becomes a shame. When I ask students of the Faculty of International Relations of the Belarusian State University, where I teach, to name dishes of national cuisine, 90 percent say about potato pancakes. Unfortunately, we forget that our country is not only a land of potato pancakes, but also hundreds of other authentic dishes.

One collection

The expert assures that you can make money on agroecotourism, and not bad:

– Every year, our 2,200 estates welcome about 300 thousand tourists. This is a highly profitable business. It is especially beneficial to receive guests in the house in which you live yourself - you do not incur the costs of building an estate from scratch, and if you invest money in reconstruction, you are doing it primarily for yourself.

The amount of the single fee does not depend on the size and location of the estate. Whether it’s an elite cottage near Minsk, which receives thousands of tourists, or my modest log house in the Vitebsk region, which attracts at most a hundred people, the owners pay the same, one basic per year:

– We have created the most comfortable conditions for the development of agroecotourism. The state has taken unprecedented measures against rural businessmen. By developing a personal tourism business, the owners make a significant contribution to the country’s economy: foreigners bring foreign currency and spend it here, the owner of the estate will pay wages to the workers, buy food and building materials.

What's in the new rules?

The prospects for agroecotourism no longer seem something vague and illusory, as it was in 2002, when the first estates were just appearing. The chairman of the board of the NGO “Village Rest” names improvement of legislation among the reasons:

– Decree 356 is an important event for us. It was discussed for a year and a half at all levels. There were also extremely negative proposals: all large estates were proposed to be transferred to the category of individual entrepreneurs. We tried to explain that this was impossible, and we succeeded. The most important thing is that the document specified nuances that had previously caused a lot of controversy. In particular, it clearly outlines the list of services that can be provided in estates. The possibility of building guest houses has been established, and the right of rural residents who have land plots provided for the construction and maintenance of a residential building to engage in agroecotourism without changing the intended purpose of these land plots has been secured. A house for accommodating guests can belong either directly to a citizen providing services in the field of agroecotourism, or to members of his family.

Would you trade a holiday at sea for a village holiday?

Vladislav Ovod, student, Minsk:

– I’ll choose the sea. I vacationed in agricultural estates, not only in Belarus, but also in Germany. But I haven’t been to seaside resorts yet. It seems to me that spending time somewhere in a warm climate is much more pleasant. And I can relax in nature and eat our national food every day. To do this, it is not necessary to rent an estate, just come to visit your grandmother.

Valeria Sharkel, teacher, Braslav:

– I will definitely choose an agricultural estate. I’m not a fan of lying around on the beach, and I’m indifferent to sunbathing. A house somewhere outside the city is another matter. Fresh air and good company are all you need to be happy. I instilled in many friends the habit of relaxing this way. After all, you don’t need to apply for a visa - you just choose a place, get into the car, and within a couple of hours you’ll be enjoying the beautiful scenery.

Anton Belsky, programmer, Uzda:

– I like to travel, explore new places and countries. That’s why the sea is closer to me, because it’s different everywhere. In our country, the terrain and landscapes are also different and there is something to see, but the entertainment program is similar. Does it make sense to travel from region to region when the food is the same, the same types of fish are caught and the traditions of receiving guests do not change?

Olga Savchenko, lawyer, Minsk:

– I would only choose a vacation in a Belarusian agricultural estate. I love our nature, its peace and quiet, the beauty of forests and lakes, the very atmosphere of cozy life outside the city. I am one of those people who do not want to change the situation around me, but dream of seeing everything that is the same, close to my heart, but from a different angle. Replacing Minsk architecture with the warmth of an original Belarusian estate is a real dream that will restore all vitality like no other foreign resort.