Over 5m tourists visit Belarusian sights in H1

        Some 5.2 million tourists visited Belarusian museums and other places of interest in H1 2012, up by 12.5% compared to the same period last year, Deputy Sport and Tourism Minister of Belarus Cheslav Shulga told reporters.
       “Some time ago we were happy about 60,000 tourists visiting the castles in Mir and Nesvizh per year. Now several tourist facilities boast more than 300,000 visitors per year,” the official said. Such places of interest include Brest Fortress, the National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Nesvizh” and the Gomel Palace and Park Ensemble.
       Apart from that, Belarus offers virtual excursions on the website on the National Tourism Agency. Billboards with QR codes have been installed in Minsk. Using such codes smartphone holders can get the necessary information about tourist facilities.
       In September 2012 tourist buses started making trips along bus route No. 1 between the Vesnyanka neighborhood and the railway station. The ticket costs as much as a regular bus fare, but the bus is equipped with an audio guide. Similar solutions are used in popular museums, including the National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Nesvizh”.
       The Deputy Minister is in favor of a broader use of audio and video guides at tourist facilities popular with foreigners.
According to the official, in recent years the number of tourist facilities included in excursion tours has increased by 15-20%.