Vibrant trade, a tourist inflow, new partnerships – that is how the Slavianski Bazaar festival benefits the regional economy, Vitebsk Oblast Governor Aleksandr Subbotin told journalists at the opening of the international press center of the 34th International Arts Festival Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, BelTA has learned.
The governor remarked that the festival is the hallmark of Vitebsk Oblast and the entire republic; it is also a social project.
“It is difficult to calculate the economic impact of the festival. Representatives of several dozen countries come here for this festival, they make friends, which paves the way for future partnerships. The festival is a showcase event for our state, this is a great opportunity for us to show our hospitality, peacefulness and ingenuity, our commitment to dialogue. It is impossible to put a price tag on it. The Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk offers a large number of concerts and other activities. The festival always runs under the umbrella of the state and the president. New projects and ideas need support from the government. The Union State lends a shoulder and pitches in financially; a number of programs and concerts are held under its auspices. It allocates funds from its budget. Our task is to test new ideas, if we did not do that, the festival would be profitable. At the same time, the festival is commercially successful,” said the governor.
Aleksandr Subbotin emphasized that all proceeds from each festival are spent to arrange the next one. “As soon as the current edition of the festival ends, the proceeds are invested in planning and arranging the next one, into new projects within the next festival. Each time this amounts to more than Br1 million,” the governor said.
He went on saying that the region keeps improving the infrastructure used during the festival - retail outlets, catering facilities, hotels. “Mobile facilities alone earn more than Br3 million during the festival. This means taxes and rental payments, that are spent on preparing the city for the next festival. Last year, for example, an additional 6 tonnes of ice cream and 20,000 liters of kvass were sold in the city center,” Aleksandr Subbotin remarked.
