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My inspiring guest is Dr. Valeria Klitsounova from Belarus. Yes, Belarus! That might sound surprising to many, especially during the current times. But, when given the introduction, I thought this was a very important opportunity to listen and learn. Obviously my conversation is focused on agritourism. However, the bigger issues of today are at the core of our discussion. Dr. Valeria’s story is truly inspiring and made me stop and reflect on what it means to be an American and how I have access to so many opportunities, especially in business, that I may take for granted at times.

Raised by her aunt and grandmother, Dr. Valeria grew up thinking critically and developed her independence and leadership skills at a young age. She and her husband founded and owned a museum of history and rural culture in Belarus. The Museum allowed her to share Belarusian history, one of her passions. After selling the museum, she looked for other opportunities to bring information about Belarus to the world. In 2002, Dr. Valeria introduced the idea of agritourism to Belarus. Her focus was to provide more income opportunities to rural communities throughout the country. She founded the Belarusian Association of Rural and Ecotourism, also known as “Country Escape,” a nonprofit dedicated to promoting Belarus as a tourist destination. Through her incredible dedication and hard work, Belarus was selected as the Best Agritourism destination in 2016 and 2018 by National Geographic.

When she started Country Escape there were very few farmsteads that supported rural tourism. Her influence and leadership dubbed her as the mother of agritourism in Belarus. A few years ago, after 20 years leading Country Escape, the Belarus government required her to close her company, leaving 3000 farmsteads without her support. Now, a few years after closing her company, the tourism industry has under 1000 active farmsteads practicing rural tourism.

Dr. Valeria is now focused on her senior lecturer position at Belarus State University where she instructs students in marketing, advertising, public relations and ecotourism. In addition, she is on the Board of the Global Agritourism Network. So, although her company was forced to close, she has continued to pursue what is near and dear to her heart through diverse and impactful means.

Student travel website
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Mother of Agritourism in Belarus

The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).

Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.

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