MINSK, 15 January (BelTA) – The Belarusian government will consider the possibility of increasing the number of direct flights to China, Belarus' Deputy Sports and Tourism Minister Mikhail Portnoi said in Beijing, BelTA learned from Xinhua.

According to Mikhail Portnoi, with a view to attracting more Chinese tourists, the Belarusian government will consider the possibility for such measures as the implementation of the visa-free policy and increasing the number of direct flights [the current flight goes from Beijing through Minsk to Budapest and back]. The China-Belarus Year of Tourism 2018 creates good opporutntiies to increase the flow of tourists. The official ceremony to open Belarus' Year of Tourism in China was held in Chongqing, China on 10 January.

The deputy minister also spoke about Belarus' tourism potential. In his words, Belarus' cooperation with China in tourism is one of the priority areas of the country's policy.