Student hostels in Minsk may be used over the summer season as hotels

By Veniamin Mikheev

Student hostels in Minsk may be used over the summer season as hotels, notes the Deputy Chairman of Minsk City Executive Committee, Igor Karpenko

Speaking at a session of the Co-ordination Council for Tourism Development, Mr. Karpenko explained, “During the summer period, when hostels lack students, the rooms are empty, so it makes sense for our tour operators to offer them to tourists.” The issue has been discussed with the management of the capital’s institutes of higher education, with Mr. Karpenko noting that hostels were used in this way during the Ice Hockey World Championship in Minsk.

Mr. Karpenko has suggested offering discounts to groups invited by travel agencies, with visitors also gaining discounted entry to the aqua-park, circus, museums and other sites.

Minsk already has 44 hotels and, by 2017, there should be 61, in addition to a network of hostels.