Sports Tourist Union of Belarus

The Sports Tourist Union of Belarus (Belarusian: Рэспубліканскі турысцка-спартыўны саюз, abbreviated РТСС; Russian: Республиканский туристско-спортивный союз) is a Belarusian public association dedicated to the development and popularisation of sports tourism as a sport and as a form of active recreation. It was first registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus on 19 September 1991 under the name "Tourist-Sports Union of Belarus" and was re-registered in July 1995 with an amended statute, taking its current name, the Republican Tourist-Sports Union. The organisation's core activity is the organisation and conduct of tourist hikes, competitions and other tourist-sports events. It develops normative documentation such as rules and rank requirements, interacts with various state structures on matters of sports tourism, organises and runs competitions and other sports-tourism events, and trains judges for sports tourism. Membership is open to citizens of Belarus, foreign citizens and stateless persons permanently residing in Belarus who have reached the age of 16, accept the organisation's statute and pay entrance and membership fees; persons under 16 may also become members with written permission from parents, guardians or other legal representatives. Admission is carried out by the association's organisational structures. The union is built on a territorial principle and consists of Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, Minsk and Mogilev regional branches plus a Minsk city branch, all operating under a single statute. The highest body of each regional and Minsk city organisational structure is a gathering of the tourist activists of the region or the city of Minsk, convened once every four years. On a regular basis the union organises and conducts championships of the Republic of Belarus in sports tourism and tourist-applied multi-event competitions, republican competitions in sports tourist hikes, international sports tourism competitions, a republican year-round sports tourism Spartakiad, and tourist festivals and rallies. In 2012 the union became one of the founders of the International Federation of Sports Tourism and serves as the national representative of Belarus in that international organisation. Its official website, rtss.by, publishes news, regulations and registration information for events such as the international water rowing marathon "Augustow Canal" held in the Grodno region.

The organisation that became the Sports Tourist Union of Belarus was registered on 19 September 1991 by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus as the public organisation "Tourist-Sports Union of Belarus" (Турысцка-спартыўны саюз Беларусі). In July 1995 it was re-registered with amendments to its statute, forming the public association "Republican Tourist-Sports Union" (ГА «РТСС»), the name under which it has operated since. From its foundation the union's purpose has been the development and popularisation of sports tourism as a sport and as active recreation. Its main field of activity is the organisation and conduct of tourist hikes, competitions and other tourist-sports events. Over time it took on a broader set of functions: creating normative documentation such as rules and rank requirements, interacting with state structures on sports tourism matters, organising and conducting competitions and other events, and training judges for sports tourism. The union is structured on a territorial principle, with Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, Minsk and Mogilev regional branches and a Minsk city branch, all operating under a single statute. The highest body of each regional and Minsk city structure is a gathering of tourist activists, convened once every four years. Membership is open to Belarusian citizens, foreign citizens and stateless persons permanently residing in Belarus who are at least 16 years old, accept the statute and pay entrance and membership fees; under-16s may join with written permission from parents or legal representatives. In 2012 the union became one of the founders of the International Federation of Sports Tourism (Міжнародная федэрацыя спартыўнага турызму) and acts as the national representative of Belarus in that body. Domestically it regularly organises championships of the Republic of Belarus in sports tourism and tourist-applied multi-event competitions, republican competitions in sports tourist hikes, international sports tourism competitions, a republican year-round Spartakiad in sports tourism, and tourist festivals and rallies. Its website rtss.by serves as the public face of the organisation, carrying news, regulations and registration details for events including the international water rowing marathon "Augustow Canal" held in the Grodno region.

• Registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus as the public organisation "Tourist-Sports Union of Belarus".

• Re-registered with amendments to the statute, forming the public association "Republican Tourist-Sports Union" (РТСС).

• Became one of the founders of the International Federation of Sports Tourism and its national representative for Belarus.

National governing-style public association for sports tourism in Belarus, organising competitions, hikes and festivals and representing Belarus in the International Federation of Sports Tourism.

• Championships of the Republic of Belarus in sports tourism and tourist-applied multi-event competitions

• Republican competitions in sports tourist hikes

• International sports tourism competitions

• Republican year-round Spartakiad in sports tourism

• Tourist festivals and rallies

• Judges' training for sports tourism

• Normative documentation (rules, rank requirements)

1. 1РТСС - Спортивный туризм в Беларуси - Главнаяrtss.by
2. 2Sports Tourist Union of Belarus - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Рэспубліканскі турысцка-спартыўны саюз - Wikipedia (be)be.wikipedia.org