The first gathering of caravaners took place on the shore of the Selyava Lake. Get on the map of Europe. “Caravan routes” are still bypassing Belarus

The development of this type of autotourism, like caravanning, in Belarus can repeat the success of rural tourism. At least, this is what the Ministry of Sports and Tourism is counting on. Among the main arguments are the transit position of the country, the love of Belarusians for cars and, no matter how trivial, the 2014 Ice Hockey World Championship. For a landmark event, it is much easier to bring a large-scale idea to life.

For the first time, the state started talking about the development of trailer tourism back in 2011, and the leadership of the Ministry of Sports had an idea - to attract car tourists and transit visitors to our country with the help of tourist stops. But businessmen did not pick up the initiative: no one dared to transfer tourists to motorhomes without an administrative lever. Now the "caravans" of tourists will still try to send in the "blue-eyed" direction.

Moreover, private businesses will be offered to develop caravanning in Belarus. The district authorities will allocate land plots on favorable terms, and investors, as planned, will fill them with infrastructure. Large equipped parking lots with car washes, toilets and shops will appear in each region. Sites for their construction must be provided by local executive committees. First of all, campsites will appear along highways, near picturesque reservoirs and in national parks. By the way, the Administration of Presidential Affairs will be engaged in the "caravanization" of the latter.

Both foreign and domestic investors are ready to engage in camping in Belarus: travel companies, mature owners of rural estates and experienced caravaners. There are many enthusiasts of movement in Belarus: even the Minister of Sports and Tourism Alexander Shamko prefers to travel by car.

Volleyball, lunch and… Internet

For the sake of campsites, they can make legislative concessions. They should touch future parking lots near highways. So far, only those that are located at a distance of 100 m from the edge of the carriageway are classified as roadside service facilities. To count on preferences, an investor needs to fit into the “hundred-meter line”. However, the owners of tourist sites do not need such proximity: after all, autotourists will have to be attracted by nature, and not by the road. Therefore, the hundred-meter limit for camping may be reviewed.

But investors are also expected to have a “sense of style”. Parking lots should include guest houses, shops, cafes, heated restrooms and sports fields. Autotourists can offer fishing, cycling and excursions to local attractions. Ideally, the site should have a Wi-Fi network with free Internet access.

- It is assumed that campsites will be located in picturesque places and include all the necessary infrastructure, including volleyball and mini-football courts, leisure programs,- notes the head of the department for planning and organizing tourism activities of the tourism department of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism Lyubov Maksimova.

Campsites will be created with the expectation of foreign tourists. In the European Union, caravanning has long been one of the promising areas: in search of new sensations, German campers - by the way, the founders of the movement - reach the Urals. They usually visit Belarus in transit and do not stay for a long time. They will try to correct this misunderstanding by the hockey championship.

- Camping can be used in complex. If you correctly zone a land plot, you can attract both foreign tourists and domestic travelers - especially from among young people and family people,- Lyubov Maksimova is convinced.

They will give a loan, they will collect the car

Sites for autotourists are conceived as all-weather. “They can be used both in summer and in winter, when tourists can be offered skiing, ice skating or fishing on a frozen pond,” the expert believes.

Motorhomes for Belarusian tourists will be provided by the MAZ-Kupava plant. His "portfolio" already contains two models of motorhomes and seven varieties of travel trailers. While the Belarusian market is "warming up", most campers point their wheels towards Russia.

In order to stimulate the tourist industry, the plant is ready to make concessions: to sell cars on credit or on leasing terms. The idea is simple: motorhomes are purchased by businessmen and then rented out all year round. Here are just a few such daredevils among entrepreneurs.

True, one of the Belarusian banks is now developing a program for lending to roadside service facilities. It may provide for the allocation of loans for the construction of camping sites.

Belarusians, although rarely, use campers to explore Europe. Typically, caravans are rented in Lithuania or Poland and travel with them across the European Union. Some tourists have already acquired their own car trailers, which gather dust in garages for most of the year.“It is assumed that they will be able to store them in equipped parking lots and rent them out in order to generate additional income,”- explains the head of the planning and organization of tourism activities of the Department of Tourism of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism Lyubov Maksimova.

Get on the map of Europe

The success of caravanning in the republic will depend on the enthusiasts of the movement. They have already organized the Camping Union of Belarus. The Ministry of Sports invites them to go even further and create a republican camping association. Such an organization will be able to draw up a map of campsites on the territory of Belarus and attract the attention of the International Federation of Camping and Caravanning. Those, in turn, will be able to put Belarusian objects on the camping map of Europe, which will ensure the influx of autotourists into the country.

The finest hour for Belarusian caravanning should come during the 2014 Ice Hockey World Championship. Free visas for the duration of the competition should spark the interest of European autotourists."This direction should be no less promising than rural tourism", - emphasize in the Ministry of Sports.

That's just the idea of putting a house on wheels is not shared by everyone. Caravanning, in the first place, is interesting for active people who are annoyed by the “binding” to a hotel or sanatorium. Most tourists prefer camping beaches with sun loungers and cocktails. Yes, and traveling on wheels is far from being so cheap: renting a motorhome and fuel costs may well “block” the cost of a trip to the sea. So, if caravanning finds its audience in Belarus, it is unlikely that it will be numerous.

“Caravan routes” are still bypassing Belarus

Mikhail Berezovsky, Chairman of the Board of the Belarusian Club of Caravaners and Autotourists, told the site about the development of the camping movement in our country. In his opinion, at present this promising niche of the Belarusian tourist industry is practically empty.

— Caravanning in Belarus is only in its infancy. Although abroad it brings in 2 times more profit than the hotel business. This is due to the mass character and availability of this direction. The caravaner may not resort to hotels, sanatoriums or rural estates during the trip, but he uses the services of campsites. However, it does not affect the hotel business. These people prefer to travel by "caravan". When you get involved in this, you no longer agree to another.

There are still few caravaners in Belarus - only a few hundred. Belarusians prefer to live at home and relax abroad. At the same time, sales statistics for trailers say little. Often campers are bought not only by autotourists, but also by fishermen, professional athletes and cyclists.

Belarus is interested in European autotourists. They annually travel to Russia, where they circle the Golden Ring. True, as long as transit visas are required of them, they will not travel through Belarus. Although it is more convenient for them to travel through Belarus. But because of transit visas, they travel around the republic side by side. Moreover, the number of such autotourists reaches 3-4 thousand per season.

It is noteworthy that European tourists have the opportunity to freely come to Belarus from Russia. Some do so, and then come back the same way. But in Belarus they pay nothing to anyone, because there are no normal campsites in the country. Many of us do not understand that camping is not a parking lot, but a hotel for cars.

Ideally, camping should include a rich infrastructure. For cars it is electricity and water, for people it is normal showers, kitchens, laundries, etc. Moreover, autotourists are ready to pay for it - up to 40-50 euros per day. By the way, campsites abroad are certified and, like hotels, receive 3.4 or 5 stars.

The main expenses during a road trip include fuel, food, communications and camping space. Moreover, there are two forms of charging fees - from a car and a person. At some parking lots in the EU countries, tariffs can reach 10-30 euros per car.

Belarusian autotourists will be interested in Poland and Lithuania, where there are a lot of campsites. The European Union has a good infrastructure for caravaners. Many autotourists from the CIS countries go to Scandinavia, and to Southern Europe, and even to Morocco.

Caravanning attracts people with a sense of freedom. You are not tied to tickets, hotels and reservations. But campsites need to be created where they will be in demand. As a rule, these should be picturesque places that attract people. Nobody needs camping in the middle of the highway or near the city. Autotourists will stop where they can see something, go somewhere. And people don’t rest near the road itself - it’s noisy and boring there.

Almost 500 people from 11 countries of the world came to the international gathering of caravaners, which took place at the Minsk-1 airport over the weekend. They fry potatoes here, chat and praise Belarusian sweets. the site visited tourists, and they showed their way of life, talked about how much a motor home costs and why it is practical, but not always cheap.

Traveling in such a house can be both cheaper and more expensive than a regular tour.

At the rally of caravaners, we met with Brest resident Viktor Orabey, chairman of the association "Belarusian caravaners". There were enough Belarusians among the participants, but still there were not so many of them as, for example, Estonians or Poles.

“Thirty years ago, I looked with interest and even envy at the cottages that appeared in Belarus. My family and I often went out of town with a tent, and equipped trailers on wheels made it possible to do this almost with the comfort of home,” Victor says, conducting a short tour of his motor home. Small in the truest sense of the word - the house is very compact.

The idea to buy such a house, Victor hatched for a long time. As a result, in 2011 I bought a used trailer-dacha Hobby. The family rode the trailer for a year, and then decided to change it to a motorhome.

“We thought it would be more convenient if the cabin is combined with a living area,” the motorist explained. - Although among fellow tourists there are eternal disputes about which is better. But both options have their pros and cons. For example, a cottage trailer can be unfastened and left in the parking lot, and you can go to the city by car. And it is difficult to drive in a motorhome in the city because of the large dimensions. But on the other hand, we can go to a residential area without stopping along the way. This is convenient when there are small children.

If Viktor bought a trailer-cottage in Belarus, then he decided to bring a motorhome from Europe. The right option was found in France - an almost new van based on Fiat, with a mileage of only 15,000 km. With customs clearance, he cost the Brest resident 40 thousand euros.

— I don't think it's expensive. For example, prices for new motorhomes in Europe start at 35 thousand euros, add customs clearance to this. In addition, motorhomes are practically not sold in Belarus. Mostly trailers.

Victor is sure that everyone will be able to drive such a car, if there is a desire.

“Before that, I had only traveled in passenger cars. To drive a motorhome, you do not need to open any additional category - category B is enough. But you can't do without certain skills. The dimensions of such a car are larger: length - 7.5 m (this is half a meter more than two Daewoo Matiz put together. - Note ..

Victor keeps his motorhome on the territory of his private house. Other campers park motorhomes in paid parking lots.

- Unfortunately, Belarusian campsites do not provide a service for storing motorhomes and caravans. But in Europe, such a service is provided. In European camping, snow will be removed from the motorhome and warmed up if the owner wishes.

Victor and his family — his wife and daughter — were satisfied with the new acquisition: it has everything you need to travel in comfort. Even a tiny kitchenette and a small bathroom fit in the house.

“A three-burner gas stove, an oven, a refrigerator, kitchen cabinets, hot and cold water, a shower, a toilet,” the owner of the motorhome lists household goods. - Four full-fledged beds, a wardrobe, a sliding table and even a TV. This is the same house, only very compact.

Of course, you need to take care of the motorhome: monitor the battery charge, clean the toilet in time and replenish water supplies - the motorhome has a 100-liter tank.

One hundred liters of water is enough for us for several days. Of course, it all depends on how much you spend. A thin trickle flows in our soul, so the consumption is small. Some water goes to the toilet, the rest goes to cooking. On the way, you can replenish water at gas stations (if we are talking about Belarus), and in Europe - at a campsite.

There is a bio-toilet in the motorhome. There is no smell from it. The main thing is to clean it in time.

- There are special sanitary products for such toilets, they dissolve the waste and eliminate the smell. We use instant granules that look like those that housewives throw into the tub of a washing machine. One granule is enough for us for two days, and a whole can for a year of use.

Going on a long journey, Victor does not worry about possible breakdowns that may occur along the way.

- We didn’t have to break down on the road - the car is “fresh”. In addition, before leaving, I check how it works, whether everything is in order inside. But if suddenly something hits the engine or chassis, the breakdown will be fixed at any service station. And if something breaks inside the van, you have to go to a special service for caravans. They exist in Europe, but in Belarus there are small private firms that have experience working with caravans.

For six years, Victor and his family have traveled to almost all European countries. There were both short weekend trips and long vacations of several weeks. Brest residents can go on a trip at any time of the year - if there is a desire.

- Traveling in a motorhome can be both cheaper and more expensive than a package holiday - it all depends on the place where we are going, on the season - after all, even the cost of staying at the same campsite in spring and summer can be different. But the biggest plus of our trips is that we are free to move, not tied to transport schedules, hotel rooms, or guides.

For all the time of travel, Victor made a conclusion for himself: he would never exchange his motorhome for a tour from an agency.

“If someone is just thinking about such trips and doubts whether he can drive a motorhome, you should try,” the caravaner recommends. “But you don’t have to immediately run and buy such a vehicle. Rent a trailer a couple of times, take a short weekend trip. You will immediately understand if this is your hobby. Well, if you like it, see you on your travels!

By the way, Viktor is an enthusiastic caravaner not only in terms of travel, but is also gradually developing an interactive map of campsites and campsites, where you can find out where and how caravaners can stay in Belarus.

According to Viktor's observations, every year there are more and more Belarusian caravaners, even taking into account the fact that the infrastructure for this hobby in Belarus is poorly developed, and there are almost no specialized caravan services.

— Yes, the direction is developing. But I want this movement to develop more intensively in Belarus, real campsites appear, like in Europe, then tourists from other countries will come to us. But this requires more support than today from the authorities, the Ministry of Sports. Yes, on paper there are campsites in Belarus, everything is fine. But in reality, it can be difficult to find them even on a map! Let me give you the simplest example: we don’t even have road signs on the tracks that will orient you that there is a campsite somewhere nearby! But even if you found it, a visit to the Belarusian campsite will also leave a lot of impressions and raise many questions. Indeed, in fact, this is just a platform, without infrastructure - at best, there will be an outlet here, which will still have to be reached. Unfortunately, we are far from civilized European platforms.

“Impressions from your country are very different! We have to go again"

We decided to get acquainted with caravaners from other countries - after all, almost 500 participants this year is an impressive number. Last year it was two times less.

- There are toilets, there is water, you can charge the battery. The police guard us and even inspect visitors at the entrance - it's not scary that they will carry something forbidden. You can live, - the Lithuanian Algirdas says optimistically when meeting.

About 60 tourists came to us only from Finland. Traveling on wheels in this country is very common, this is evidenced even by the number of club members - their account goes to hundreds of thousands. For example, Anneli has been traveling on wheels for over 40 years. The woman traveled around Europe several times, was in Russia and Kazakhstan. But in Belarus it is for the first time.

“There are no good toilets, electricity and water are far away,” Anneli shook her head with regret, assessing the infrastructure of the caravaner rally in Minsk. The tourist preferred not to talk about her second visit to Belarus.

Guests from Warsaw - the spouses Grazhina and Stanislav - have been traveling on wheels for 13 years. For the last three years they have been driving in a motorhome with luxury conditions, they bought it new for 100 thousand euros.

— We are in Belarus for the second time. Last year we were in Brest. Water was then collected at a gas station, but we do not need electricity - the system runs on diesel fuel.

Grazhina said that she liked Minsk. She even managed to look into some metropolitan shops.

- Maybe your prices are higher than in Poland, but we can afford everything. I was surprised, but in large stores you have a very good selection of products, even better than in Poland. We bought a lot of Belarusian sweets with us - very tasty.

Despite the fact that the rally was held in a "clean airfield", the caravaners were glad to meet and make new acquaintances. People gathered in groups, cooked together, sat at the same tables, visited each other and exchanged souvenirs.

“I love to travel on wheels. I bought the first motorhome in 2002, and this one is the third one,” said Silvar, an Estonian who came to Minsk with his wife, grandson and a small red dog. - The bus has all the amenities like at home. It was expensive - 87 thousand euros. But in Estonia, loans are given for the purchase of such motorhomes - their prices practically do not fall, so this is regarded as an investment.

An Estonian has already been to Belarus once. He did not feel any inconvenience at the rally in Minsk, he says that he has everything he needs on the bus.

“But this trip is very short, so I will definitely open a visa and return to you for another couple of weeks - I will travel through the villages, talk to people, admire nature. You have a beautiful country, I fell in love with it.

While many European countries earn millions of euros from car tourists, one small country continues to boast of its advantageous geographical location. But the simple construction of roads was not enough: last year, 12,000 caravaners passed through Belarus (as the owners of motorhomes and caravans are called). Basically, they proceeded in transit, making occasional stops at gas stations and roadside cafes. Perhaps, caravaners could find shelter in the only carcamping we created in the mid-1990s, but it is now focused on other campers.

For European campers and autotourists Belarus still remains terra incognita. Many, of course, will ask: what did they not see here? But in reality, the Czechs, Germans, French, Swedes, and Finns have an interest in our country. What is stopping them? There are several good reasons: both the visa regime and the lack of reliable information about Belarus in the national language of tourists. But the main thing is the lack of specialized camping sites. For comparison: there are 1,200 farmsteads in neighboring Lithuania, where they are ready to receive caravaners. In 2010, 18-20 thousand car tourists visited there.

- Theoretically, Belarusian farmsteads can also accept caravaners,- says Nikolai Denisman, an experienced autotourist and one of the initiators of the development of caravanning in our country. - But in reality, their owners do not even have an understanding of what is needed. It should be a quiet place with all the necessary infrastructure and communications, where you can replenish fresh water, connect to the power grid, take a shower, cook a simple lunch. This is the bare minimum. It is better if the campsite is located near the city, and there are tourist sites nearby. I'm not talking about free Wi-Fi, the ability to rent a car, although in Europe all these services are provided on such sites.

It seems that there are not so many requirements, but it is almost impossible to find such a place in Belarus now. Dudutki was chosen to host the international congress of caravaners and autotourists, which is taking place these days. "No one else could offer such a cultural program",- admitted Nikolai Denisman.

About 100 crews arrived there today: Poles, Czechs, Finns, Estonians, Russians, Ukrainians. These people, without parting with their home on wheels, visit different cities and countries. Autotourists, not travel agencies, decide and plan their route and travel time. Because caravans are popular in Europe. Their owners unite in clubs, organize trips, explore new places together, where ordinary tourists are not taken. In Finland (caravanning is especially developed in this country), 280 thousand people participate in this movement, there are 68 specialized clubs.

- By the way, it was very difficult to persuade some of those invited to come, Belarusians smiled. - Our Czech colleagues, for example, feared for their safety, did not know what to expect at the border, and asked what roads we had. The fight against stereotypes has been going on for a long time. For six months we corresponded, sent them photos, after which, finally, we managed to convince that everything is in order here. I authoritatively declare that Belarus is the safest place in Europe in this sense. Some of our friends had unpleasant incidents abroad, but never with us.

Belarus also has its own club of caravaners and autotourists. Now they are trying to register it with the Ministry of Justice as a public association. “There are 57 people in our club. Half of them are actively engaged in caravanning, In Belarus, as a rule, wealthy people buy motorhomes or caravans. ABOUTspecial tThere are no technical difficulties (we wrote about some of them in one of the first on Auto Onliner. - Auth.), We service like a regular car, we store motorhomes in ordinary parking lots. Sometimes there are difficulties with some components, but this can be solved.”

Nikolai and his wife own a motorhome based on Ford Transit, which has everything you need for an autonomous life - a heating system, a microwave, a sink, a bathroom, a TV, cozy sofas, etc. In general, a full-fledged mobile residential complex.

But a married couple travels in Belarus not so often, mostly abroad. “We spent a week in Holland, spent 750 euros for five,- Nikolai Denisman talks about his last journey. - But the main thing is that we planned our vacation ourselves: we drove through the tulip fields for about 40 kilometers, stopped by small towns and villages where ordinary Dutch people live. It's a different view of the country."

- But it's a seasonal holiday, isn't it?- I ask.

- Why?- the caravaner was surprised. - We travel all year round. In 30-degree frosts, we went to Veliky Ustyug. We were in Suzdal for Christmas. At the same time, they spent the night in a motorhome.

During our conversation, the caravaners recalled with nostalgia, they say, this was once born in our country. On the highway Zaslavl - Dzerzhinsk there is a place Krutogorye, where in the mid-1990s they tried to make the first Belarusian camping. "What is there now?" they sighed.

And indeed!

The road winds through the fields and leads us to the gate with the old inscription "Highmountain". At the exit, he meets a dusty trailer-cottage as a symbol of the past. Once there was a military unit here, then it was disbanded and a camping site was organized at this place. And then... everything changed overnight.

- The restoration period is underway, We were greeted by a park employee. - But in general, we position ourselves as a center for family holidays. Here you can play paintball, for example. We have a shooting range, ATVs, football, volleyball...

Just near the football goal, we found signs of autocamping - old sockets. There are several dozen of them. Once upon a time, the tourist car business began here. But everything stopped. There is no specialized parking, sockets are rusting... It is noteworthy that the memory of autocamping in Highmountain is still alive among autotourists.

- Yes, they still call, ask- immediately recalled an employee of the center. - In June we will take a special bus, 20 German tourists will arrive. They plan to live right in the bus, equipped with everything you need. Where to put motorhomes, if necessary? Good question...

Meanwhile, it is relevant for the whole country. Recently, Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism Andrey Martynov, that it is necessary to build more car campings. But won't this be just another declaration of intent?

The service sector, alas, we still have a Soviet accent. Now almost every village house claims to be an agroestate. And for how many years it has been said about the development of roadside service, but things are still there. Where is the network of “comprehensive service facilities” on the highways?

As of January 1 of this year, 319 gas stations, 122 gas filling stations, 68 hotels, 47 car washes, 71 guarded parking lots, 309 trade enterprises, 436 food points and 97 service stations were operating on republican roads. Almost 70 objects are under construction and reconstruction. Belneftekhim, the regional executive committees, the Ministry of Trade and Belkoopsoyuz are faced with the task of commissioning 48 facilities this year - gas stations, car washes, service stations, hotels, guarded parking lots and food outlets. It seems that the numbers are large, but this is an illusion, because there are much more kilometers of roads.

Only this year, they started talking about real benefits for investors involved in the creation of tourist facilities. Businessmen have repeatedly drawn attention to the problems associated with the construction of roadside service facilities: approvals take too much time, besides, there are absurdities in the technical requirements.

- My small company is ready to invest in the construction of a car camping,- says Nikolai Denisman. - The main thing is that the officials should not create obstacles. We have good roads, order at the borders, there is no danger for tourists. We know how to organize the rest of autotourists.

According to him, it is quite possible to cultivate a wild holiday. Nikolai is ready to build a parking lot with a cafe, several guest houses, a playground, lay down communications, organize car and bicycle rental. “Everything is possible, but it is necessary that we simply do not interfere. We know the nuances and even how to attract tourists,”- says the businessman.

Nikolay Denisman

However, not all entrepreneurs share Nikolai's optimism. Businessmen who were thinking about creating car campings told about the difficulties they had to face. Firstly, there is no single coordinating center that would deal with the sphere. What is it - tourism, roadside service or agroecotourism? Secondly, after all, caravanning is seasonal - in winter, Europeans are more likely to prefer warm countries. Thirdly, there are difficulties in the selection of qualified personnel. After all, we need specialists who not only have experience in the service sector, but also speak at a decent level at least conversational English. Fourthly, there are unresolved nuances with the land issue (businessmen are asking for guarantees).

However, no one says that starting a new business, especially such, is easy. It is possible and necessary to use a favorable location: according to the most conservative estimates, with the development of this industry, the flow of autotourists can increase several times. But first you need to create something, then to get a tangible result.

- Theoretically, Belarusian farmsteads can also accept caravaners,- says Nikolai Denisman, an experienced autotourist and one of the initiators of the development of caravanning in our country. — But in reality, their owners do not even have an understanding of what is needed. It should be a quiet place with all the necessary infrastructure and communications, where you can replenish fresh water, connect to the power grid, take a shower, cook a simple lunch. This is the bare minimum. It is better if the campsite is located near the city, and there are tourist sites nearby. I'm not talking about free Wi-Fi, the ability to rent a car, although in Europe all these services are provided on such sites.

— By the way, it was very difficult to persuade some of those invited to come, Belarusians smiled. — Our Czech colleagues, for example, feared for their safety, did not know what to expect at the border, and asked what roads we had. The fight against stereotypes has been going on for a long time. For six months we corresponded, sent them photos, after which, finally, we managed to convince that everything is in order here. I authoritatively declare that Belarus is the safest place in Europe in this sense. Some of our friends had unpleasant incidents abroad, but never with us.

Belarus also has its own club of caravaners and autotourists. Now they are trying to register it with the Ministry of Justice as a public association. “There are 57 people in our club. Half of them are actively engaged in caravanning, In Belarus, as a rule, wealthy people buy motorhomes or caravans. ABOUTspecial tThere are no technical difficulties (we wrote about some of them in one of the first publications on Auto Onliner. - Auth.), We service like a regular car, we store motorhomes in ordinary parking lots. Sometimes there are difficulties with some components, but this can be solved.”

But a married couple travels in Belarus not so often, mostly abroad. “We spent a week in Holland, spent 750 euros for five,- Nikolai Denisman talks about his last trip. — But most importantly, we planned our vacation ourselves: we drove through the tulip fields for about 40 kilometers, visited small towns and villages where ordinary Dutch people live. It's a different view of the country."

But it's a seasonal holiday, isn't it? I ask.

- Why? the caravaner was surprised. — We travel all year round. In 30-degree frosts, we went to Veliky Ustyug. We were in Suzdal for Christmas. At the same time, they spent the night in a motorhome.

During our conversation, the caravaners recalled with nostalgia, they say, this was once born in our country. On the Zaslavl-Dzerzhinsk highway there is a place called Krutogorye, where in the mid-1990s they tried to make the first Belarusian auto-camping. "What is there now?" they sighed.

And indeed!

- The restoration period is underway, We were greeted by a park employee. — But in general, we position ourselves as a center for family holidays. Here you can play paintball, for example. We have a shooting range, ATVs, football, volleyball...

Just near the football goal, we found signs of car camping - old sockets. There are several dozen of them. Once upon a time, the tourist car business began here. But everything stopped. There is no specialized parking, sockets are rusting... It is noteworthy that the memory of autocamping in Highmountain is still alive among autotourists.

- Yes, they still call, ask,- the employee of the center immediately recalled. — In June we will take a special bus, 20 German tourists will arrive. They plan to live right in the bus, equipped with everything you need. Where to put motorhomes, if necessary? Good question...

Meanwhile, it is relevant for the whole country. Recently, Andrey Martynov, Deputy Director of the Tourism Department of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, said that it is necessary to build more car campings. But won't this be just another declaration of intent?

As of January 1 of this year, 319 gas stations, 122 gas filling stations, 68 hotels, 47 car washes, 71 guarded parking lots, 309 trade enterprises, 436 food points and 97 service stations were operating on republican roads. Almost 70 objects are under construction and reconstruction. Belneftekhim, the regional executive committees, the Ministry of Trade and Belcoopsoyuz are faced with the task of commissioning 48 facilities this year - gas stations, car washes, service stations, hotels, guarded parking lots and food outlets. It seems that the numbers are large, but this is an illusion, because there are much more kilometers of roads.

— My small company is ready to invest in the construction of a car camping, Nikolay Denisman says. — The main thing is that the officials should not create obstacles. We have good roads, order at the borders, there is no danger for tourists. We know how to organize the rest of autotourists.

Nikolai Denisman However, not all entrepreneurs share Nikolai's optimism. Businessmen who were thinking about creating car campings told about the difficulties they had to face. Firstly, there is no single coordinating center that would deal with the sphere. What is it - tourism, roadside service or agroecotourism? Secondly, after all, caravanning is seasonal - in winter, Europeans are more likely to prefer warm countries. Thirdly, there are difficulties in the selection of qualified personnel. After all, we need specialists who not only have experience in the service sector, but also speak at a decent level at least conversational English. Fourthly, there are unresolved nuances with the land issue (businessmen are asking for guarantees).

Last weekend, on the shores of Lake Selyava in the agro-town of Kolodnitsa, Krupsky district, Minsk region, the Republican tourist and sports gathering of campers took place, in which caravaners not only from Belarus, but also from neighboring countries took part.

So, at the rally we met several participants from Ukraine and Russia.

“I have been engaged in caravanning for more than 10 years and I can say that this festival is organized at a fairly high level. Compared to Russia, the caravaner movement has also just begun to develop in our country, although there are much more caravaners. But the state does not pay due attention to this direction. If we compare with Europe, then the organization of campsites has already been developed quite seriously. In order to strive for the European level, in Belarus it is necessary to build many campsites of the same level as the one where this rally is organized: with reception, parking lots, shops, cafes, services for children, with the ability to stay at any time of the year,” says Dmitry Zagorodnyuk from Moscow.

Oleg Lungul from the city of Kirovograd, chairman of the Ukrainian caravan club, notes that every year he comes to Belarus for a festival and lives in his motor home. “The level of development of caravanning in Ukraine is similar to that in Belarus. We registered with the Ministry of Justice last year, Belarusian friends this year. Club registration opens up new opportunities: you can openly declare yourself, promote your club and develop. In Ukraine, there are now about 10 campsites that are ready to receive tourists throughout the year, including winter camping in Bukovel. But we have more caravaners, since there is a sea and many people buy trailer houses to organize a budget vacation on the sea coast,” adds Oleg.

Oleg demonstrates his motor home

The rally was held on the territory of a new Belarusian campsite, which opened only in June this year. The campsite has guest houses for 2, 4 people, a shower-toilet, as well as camping tents, 50 places for own motorhomes and 50 places for tents. On its territory there are also children's and sports grounds, places for making a fire, etc.

During the rally, participants could not only compete in darts, volleyball, mini-football, as well as test their skills in kettlebell lifting, air rifle shooting, fishing and other sports entertainment, but also present their clubs, make new friends and to discuss the prospects of caravanning in Belarus at the round table.

The rally was attended not only by caravaners, but also by officials.

In particular, Igor Chesnok, Chairman of the Krupsky District Executive Committee, noted that further promotion of camping in Belarus would contribute to the development of places in the country remote from large industrial and tourist centers, the appearance of appropriate infrastructure in them, the construction of roads, etc.

As the Deputy Minister of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus Cheslav Shulga emphasized, campsites have every chance of becoming the same successful project that a few years ago was the opening of farmsteads and the development of rural tourism. “If we were not confident in the prospects of this direction, we would not have made such efforts to start. Today's event is a serious starting point to significantly activate this movement. You don't need much investment in this business. Now there are already 17 campsites operating in the country and about 600 caravans are registered. Almost without special support from the state, 14 campsites appeared in Belarus in just a year, and 31 more were announced for 2015. Rural estates at one time made it possible to include almost all large villages in tourist routes around Belarus.

By placing campsites near serious tourist sites, for example, in Polotsk, Nesvizh and Mir, we will also give impetus to their further development. We can also develop transit tourism with the help of campsites. Now there are 26,000 registered campsites in Europe with an annual turnover of 450 million euros, and this is a huge flow of tourists. In addition, we have dozens of rivers and lakes, which are still little known. And with campsites, we could make them much more famous. Based on all this, our future goal is a developed network of campsites in every area. To do this, we have a good legislative base, although it requires adaptation to modern conditions. There are norms that have not changed since the days of the Soviet Union. But already this year we plan to finalize it and make appropriate changes for approval. In order to get a modern legislative base by the next summer season,” adds Mr. Shulga.

Viktor Orabey from Brest, representing the Belarusian Association of Caravaners, notes that caravanning should be developed in the country first of all. “There will be no caravaners in the country, and there will be no campsites. Therefore, the goal of our association, which, by the way, we registered only last month, is to rally and unite caravaners from all over the country, - says Vtor Orabey. “Because traveling in your own motor home is the most free form of recreation. We have already passed the period of vouchers from travel agencies, five-star hotels and airplanes, now we want to make decisions on our own. You can have a good rest not only in ultra-modern hotels, but also in campsites.”

Caravaners note the high level of development of campsites in such European countries as Croatia, Hungary, Germany. “Almost all coastal areas in Croatia are occupied by campsites. And they are not across the road, but right at the water's edge. In the country, it is often impossible to build hotels near the coast, but camping is welcome. Traveling through European countries, you see that there is no such problem - to find a campsite for the night. They are everywhere there. And tourists with trailer houses greet each other the same way as our bus drivers. Moreover, caravaners are always treated well at the frontier. Several times I had such cases when the cars in front of me were carefully checked, and when they saw me driving a car with a motor home, they let me through without any special checks, ”says Dmitry Zagorodnyuk.

Video: Belteleradiocompany