MINSK, 19 October (BelTA) – The number of foreign vacationers in Minsk Oblast sanatoriums increased by 11,500 people in January-September 2012, or by nearly 20%, BelTA learned from Mr Nikolai Kozlov, Head of the Minsk Oblast Office of the National Center for Recreation and Sanatorium Treatment. In January-September 2012 Minsk Oblast sanatoriums and recreation centers welcomed 211,000 people, including over 60,000 foreigners, who accounted for 46% of the trip ticket sales in January-September 2012. Revenues from the export of services nearly tripled from January-September 2011. The overall revenues of Minsk Oblast sanatoriums rose from Br245 billion in January-September 2011 to Br592 billion in January-September 2012. Nikolai Kozlov said that the prices for the trip tickets are set by the sanatoriums taking into account the market competition. Most of the foreign vacationers are Russians. Among the foreign clients are also Poles and Germans. They prefer sanatoriums focused on cardiovascular, digestive, and neurological diseases. Virtually all the Minsk Oblast sanatoriums offer mineral water treatment. According to the source, the most popular sanatoriums are Priozerny, Sosny, Yunost, Belaya Rus, and Krinitsa that boast European level care. The level of service available in several Minsk Oblast sanatoriums is below that. Sometimes the work of the personnel is unsatisfactory, he said. The official said that Minsk Oblast sanatoriums accounted for about 50% of the sanatorium earnings nationwide while Minsk Oblast is home to only a third of Belarusian sanatoriums. In Minsk Oblast there are a total of 135 recreation institutions, including 33 sanatoriums and 66 children recreation camps. The majority of them are located near Lake Naroch (16) and in Minsk District (30).

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