Department of International Tourism and Hospitality

The Department of International Tourism and Hospitality was established on October 5, 1998. From its founding until 2025, it was headed by Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Leonid M. Gaidukevich. Since February 1, 2025, the department has been headed by Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor Igor M. Avlasenko. The Department's staff has significant experience of practical work and management in tourism and hospitality and participated in the development of state programs for tourism development in the Republic of Belarus. Associate Professor Irina N. Voronovich served as Director of the Department of Tourism of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus from 2020 to 2025. Associate Professor Dzmitry V. Marozau headed the National Tourism Agency of the Republic of Belarus from 2022 to 2025. Since the establishment of the Department, its members successfully defended two Doctoral and three Candidate dissertations.

The Department provides training and graduation in the following majors of general and advanced higher education:

• 6-05-0412-01 Management, Profiling: Management in International Tourism and Hospitality (Bachelor's degree),
• 7-06-0412-01 Management, Profiling: Management of Mass Events (Master's degree),
• 7-06-0412-01 Management, Profiling: International Tourism and Hospitality (Master's degree) (for foreign citizens, taught in English).

Currently, 13 full-time and part-time members of the Department provide the educational process, including two doctors of science and seven candidates of science. The staff of the Department teaches over 40 academic disciplines in the Faculty of International Relations, including about 10 disciplines in English. In addition to standard lectures and seminars, the educational process includes innovative forms, such as educational excursions, master classes, and heuristic assignments. To engage students in research activity, the student research laboratory “Innovations in Tourism” was opened by the Department. Work in the laboratory allows students to gain practical insight into activity of tourism enterprises, learn about the latest trends in the development of tourism and hospitality, and independently develop proposals for improving the range of services for international tourists.

Students of the department complete educational and practical training at leading travel companies in the country: Viapol ALC, Alatar Tour Co. Ltd., Arena Travel Co. Ltd. and others, as well as at hotels and at the National Tourism Agency. The qualification of "Manager-Economist" and intensive language training enable graduates to realize their potential in the field of tourism and hospitality, banking, government agencies, and representative offices of international organizations. Master's degree graduates engage in analytical work in private and public companies and facilitate communication with foreign partners.

The department maintains close ties with international partners, enabling students to participate in international events, to publish the results of their research in international journals, and to undertake internships abroad. The international collaboration of the department began with connections with higher education institutions in Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Italy. In the 2000s and 2010s, several projects were implemented under the auspices of the GEF/UNDP and UNESCO. In the 2020s, the international partnership of the department expanded to include partners from the Commonwealth of Independent States and distant Asian countries, including the People’s Republic of China. Key partners currently include the Russian International Academy of Tourism, Alfraganus University (Uzbekistan), and higher education institutions in China and India. In 2025, the department launched a joint educational program of the BSU and Guangzhou College of Technology and Business (PRC) in the major “Management”.