MYSTICS AS A NEW TREND OF BELARUSIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY

ABSTRACT

This article focuses on the most popular mystical and paranormal places in the Republic of Belarus as a means to promote tourism in the country.

АННОТАЦИЯ

Данная статья посвящена наиболее популярным мистическим и паранормальным местам в Республике Беларусь как средству популяризации туризма в стране.

Keywords: tourism, Belarus, mystical tourism, travel destinations, tourism development.

Ключевые слова: туризм, Беларусь, мистический туризм, туристические направления, развитие туризма.

Tourism has tightly entered into the lives of every person, and every year the tourism industry is being improved to best meet the needs of everyone.

In the Republic of Belarus in recent years, there has been also a trend towards the growth of the tourism sector. In 2022, revenue from the provision of tourism services amounted to 327.8 million Belarusian roubles BYN [3].

The competitive advantage of the Republic of Belarus is the tourist heritage of our country - unique objects of natural, cultural and historical heritage, recreational potential.

Belarus as a tourist destination has a number of advantages compared to other countries. Belarus is a potential tourist destination due to its ancient history and original culture (15 thousand objects of historical, cultural, and architectural significance), preserved natural potential, the presence of European transport routes, and state support for tourism [2].

Modern man is increasingly in need of non-standard rest. People tend to try something new, unusual, and exotic, hence the growing interest in mystical tourism. Europe is considered the founder of mystical tourism, and is famous for its numerous mysterious places, a lot of ancient palaces and castles, as well as a considerable number of famous legends.

Often, the objects of mystical tourism are precisely the monuments of historical and cultural heritage, which have direct historical value but are distinguished by the manifestation of paranormal activity, supernatural phenomena, and inexplicable facts.

However, the objects of mystical tourism can also be cult religious centres (temples, monasteries, places of worship), in which, from a religious point of view, manifestations of Divine revelation take place (bleeding and myrrh-streaming icons, relics of saints, miraculous images of saints, healing crosses), which, from the point of view of the cognitive aspect, is also evidence of the manifestation of anomalous phenomena.

The similarity between mysticism and esotericism may be due to the fact that the objects of interest of these two types of tourism are places of accumulation of natural power and energy (pyramids, dolmens, burial mounds, etc.), places of worship, mysteries and rituals, healing arts, as well as skills of spiritual practices aimed at the physical or spiritual healing of a person, but without scientific justification.

The nature of the mystical journey can be very different, depending on the personal preferences of the tourists. Some may be interested in the restless souls of legendary personalities. The purpose of the travel of the second may lie in the opportunity to see with their own eyes the places of major accidents and disasters, while others seek healing in places with miracle energy.

Based on the studied material, we have identified the most famous mystical places in Belarus. The search for information was carried out through online Google and Yandex queries. The information on specialized websites of travel companies and websites about mystical and mysterious places in Belarus was analysed. After examining the data, it was discovered that many mystical locations are linked to a variety of attractions, such as historical or natural ones. Therefore, all places were classified and categorized as follows.

Table 1

Paranormal and mystical places in Belarus

Based on the data obtained and the materials studied, it can be concluded that most of the mystical places in Belarus are historical sights. It is also important to note that most of the large cities in Belarus (such as Minsk or Grodno) have a huge number of local legends and myths—urban mystical places that are not so widely known or popular.

Most often, articles on the mystical places of Belarus mention: Nesvizh Castle, Mir Castle and Golshany Castle. A large number of references to mystical places associated with paganism and sacrificial rites were also found. However, these directions are not quite popular since most of the holy places have not survived to this day. This is directly related to the transition of the local population to the Christian faith. Since then, it is known that since 944, the spread of the Christian faith has intensified on the territory of Belarus [5]. At the same time, there was an active struggle against paganism: sacred places, temples, and places of sacrifice were destroyed. Therefore, very few such places have survived to the present.

Despite the spread and strengthening of Christianity on the territory of Belarus, most legends and stories are associated with ancient pagan beliefs or creatures/gods. For example, people still believe in the existence of mermaids, brownies and goblins. Unlike in other countries, legends about vampires or werewolves are not widespread in Belarus. Despite the fact that such characters and references to them are present in Slavic mythology. On the territory of Belarus, such legends have not received their due popularity. Werewolves did not gain popularity, perhaps both because of the extinction of paganism and of the mass extermination of wolves.

Based on the collected data about mystical destinations, Belarusian history, legends, and myths can be considered a treasure of the cultural heritage in terms of architectural monuments, crafts, or unique samples of folklore and natural destinations. Therefore, they can be regarded as the sphere of sustainable tourism. However, it should be noted that this is only a small part of the existing similar mystical places in Belarus. According to the study conducted as part of this work, we can conclude that the citizens of Belarus are really interested in mysticism and are ready to pay money to visit mysterious places with a mysterious history. This topic is extremely relevant today, as it represents an unconventional approach to tourism and every year is gaining popularity among tourists who are fed up with standard types of recreation. In addition, the development of mystical tourism in the country will solve a large number of economic, political, and social problems. Tourism is able to become a leading industry that has an impact on the effective socio-economic development of the country and contributes to the economic, social, and spiritual development of both individual regions of Belarus and the republic as a whole. Thus, mystical tourism requires constant work to find new ideas, legends, and unusual objects; the development of new routes; as well as the need to constantly study international experience and adopt the most effective directions in this area.

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