Lithuania attracts many visitors from neighbouring countries and from all over the world. In 2018,there were 1.7 million foreign visitors to Lithuania for business, family and leisure.[1] The historical legacy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, its rich history, architecture, pristine nature, seaside and spa resorts are the main attraction points of Lithuania. Domestic tourism is also highly popular: in 2018 it grew by 12%. Lithuanians also prefer to spend their vacations in Lithuania – 70 percent.[clarification needed][2]
Overview
Lithuania receives a constant increase in foreign visitors. In 2017, the accommodation establishments of Lithuania received 3.25 million tourists, which was 6.2 per cent more than in 2016.[3] Lithuania attracts foreign visitors mostly from Germany, Poland, Russia, Latvia, Belarus, the United Kingdom, Estonia and Finland.
In 2017 hotels received 2.2 million tourists, or 7 per cent more than in 2016. The number of Lithuanian tourists grew by 12.8 per cent, and foreigners by 3.3 per cent. The hotel room occupancy rate stood at 54.3 per cent (in 2016, 51.7 per cent), and the hotel bed occupancy rate at 41.4 per cent (in 2016, 39.7 per cent).[3]
Agrotourism has also gained extreme popularity in the country among the locals as well as foreigners.
Ecotourism is actively promoted by the government and national parks. Lithuania has built a successful ecotourism industry, and has also been acknowledged as one of the world's most ethical destinations. Hot air ballooning is very popular in Lithuania, especially in Vilnius and Trakai. Theme routes through historical and nature sites are popular among domestic and international tourists. Nemunas Delta Regional Park, Žuvintas biosphere reserve and Ventė Cape are known for birdwatching.[4]
Hot air balloons over Vilnius
There are tourism information centres in all major cities and smaller towns, national parks and other places, attractive for domestic or international tourism.[5]
If a tour has a guide who is "interpreting the cultural and natural heritage of an area", Lithuania requires the guide have a guiding license. This definition follows the European standard for tour guiding (CEN). Licensed Tourist Guides are the only professionals permitted to conduct tours in all sites and museums within a city. Licensed guides are required in those areas where the local authorities state that one of them is mandatory.[6] There is a Guides Database to find a guide in your language as well.[7]
Arrivals by country
The top 10 foreign countries by annual short-term visitors to Lithuania:[8]
Vilnius – capital of Lithuania, in the past – capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, first mentioned in Letters of Gediminas in 1323. Vilnius is full of cultural events – new operas, classical music, theatre and music festivals.[9]
Rumšiškės – a town known for its open-air ethnographic museum. The buildings of this museum are exposed as farmsteads and all of them together represent the 5 main ethnographic regions of Lithuania.
Protected areas established for the preservation of natural and cultural features. Lithuania has 30 regional parks and 5 national parks and 6 strict reserves.
Cognitive or sightseeing routes (Pažintinis takas) are highly popular among domestic tourists. Usually they lead through unique places in nature, where the visitor can enjoy the nature and local history while walking some predefined path.
Druskininkai – a developed spa town with the largest water park in the Eastern Europe, the Snow Arena – one of the biggest indoor skiing slopes in Europe. The Water Park and the Snow Arena connected with the cable car.[14]
Neringa - a world heritage site with unique nature, including resort towns of Nida and Juodkrantė
Palanga – the summer capital of Lithuania with sandy beaches
Šventoji - a resort town on the coast of the Baltic sea
The country has some military sites left and may be very interesting place as a place of militarism heritage tourism. It might be interesting for anyone who is interested in history of the warfare or the Cold War.
Bicycle tourism is growing, especially in Lithuanian Seaside Cycle Route. EuroVelo routes EV10, EV11, EV13 go through Lithuania. Total length of bicycle tracks amounts to
3769 km (of which 1988 km is asphalt pavement).[16] Most known bicycle routes are: Nemunas River Cycle Route, Suvalkija Cycle Circuit, Lithuanian Seaside Cycle Route. Most of the Tourism information centres and national parks have their local thematic bicycle route plans.
^"Čiurlionio kelias". ciurlioniokelias.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 24 May 2019.
^"Kurortai ir kurortinės teritorijos". Lietuvos Respublikos ekonomikos ir inovacijų ministerija (in Lithuanian). 22 January 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
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