By Oksana Shutkova
The Director of the Republican Centre for Recuperation and Sanatorium-Resort Treatment, Nikolay Mazur, has announced the latest figures, noting that around 200,000 foreigners will have stayed at our sanatorium and resort sites by the end of the year.
The export of such services has been developing in the Republic for the last three years, with Belarusian spas proving popular for their quality and value for money.
In 2010, 173,000 people from the CIS and beyond chose to rest and recuperate in Belarus — 5,000 more than in 2009. Of these, 95 percent were residents of Russia and the Baltic States. Mr. Mazur stresses that Israeli residents are also arriving, via charter flights, while some German residents have attended Belarusian spas 15 times.
He notes that each foreigner spends, on average, around $1,000 in Belarus: $500 for their stay and another $500 on excursions, souvenirs and other goods. He is convinced that foreigners are attracted by the tranquillity and security of staying in Belarus, the good quality of local cuisine, the high level of medical assistance and beautiful natural surroundings.
