Dr. Valeria Klitsounova
Content created by Virtual Intern Shayna Canty
Raised by her aunt and grandmother, Dr. Valeria Klitsounova grew up thinking critically and developed her independence and leadership skills at a young age. As a board member for a museum of history and rural culture in Belarus that she and her husband owned, she was passionate about sharing Belarusian history. After the selling the museum, she looked for other opportunities to bring information about Belarus to the world. In 2002, Dr. Klitsounova introduced the idea of agritourism to Belarus and has been working to provide more income opportunities to rural communities throughout the country. She founded the Belarusian Association of Rural and Ecotourism “Country Escape,” a nonprofit dedicated to promoting Belarus as a tourist destination. Dr. Klitsounova traveled to the United States in 2003 to participate in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) that was focused on NGO management. During her exchange she discovered many concepts that she could use to support entrepreneurs who were members of her nonprofit. She directly credits the IVLP for improving her negotiating skills that, in turn, persuaded the Belarusian government to increase funding and expand programming in other villages.
Today “Country Escape” has more than 800 members and is shaping the rural tourism sector in Belarus. Between running her nonprofit, teaching and developing courses about ecotourism, and publishing books, Dr. Valeria Klitsounova has become the “mother of agritourism” in Belarus!
Content edited by Sallie Bestul, Regina Navarro-Gomez, and Jenna Williams