Distribution of money from the DNA plan: millions for the reconstruction of airports and tourism promotion

All this is foreseen in the Government’s DNA Plan for the economy of the future. The already approved project, for which the state-owned company Lietuvos Airports is responsible, establishes that infrastructure improvements are needed at Vilnius (VNO) and Kaunas (KUN) airports to guarantee the necessary security and reduce maximum traffic congestion.

The additional space created by the new planned VNO T4 departure terminal is needed as a means of increasing the capacity of passengers served, ensuring safe social distances and travel for passengers at risk of Covid-19 or other pandemics, as well as the possibility to renovate existing terminals without interruption.

The total area of ​​the new VNO T4 departure terminal is expected to reach around 13.8 thousand. square meters, thus providing a more spacious infrastructure at risk of COVID-19. New explosives detection equipment (EDS) will be installed in the new extension of the T4 departure terminal. Other necessary technological and security equipment were purchased. The capacity of the departure terminal will increase from 3.5 million. up to 7.8 million passengers per year will be guaranteed at least 2.4 thousand. passenger capacity per hour in the terminal in one direction “, – it is written in the annex to the plan.

The value of the project in Vilnius is 47.5 million. euros.

It has already been announced that the Mitnija company has won the competition for the construction of the new VNO terminal. At the same time, it is planned to organize 34 thousand. kv. m of access to the airport.

This year, VNO has already opened a VIP terminal and a conference center.

“In the new building, not only can the service of important delegations be carried out at the same time before or after the flight, but also conferences or private events in the exclusive 520 m2. m of space on the second floor of the building overlooking the airport apron. The area of ​​the conference center, its distribution and all the necessary equipment allow to receive up to 300 guests in theater format or about 200 guests in gala dinner format ”, announced the airport.

The DNA plan annex for the future economy states that KUN wants to expand the existing terminal infrastructure to meet all necessary operational and safety requirements and reduce passenger congestion.

“X-ray equipment, carry-on aviation security equipment, departure and arrival baggage systems at these airports are worn out at the end of their life cycle, so the projects will upgrade and expand the systems technology and security necessary to ensure terminal operations and optimal resource allocation .. This will have a positive effect on the speed and convenience of passenger service.

The KUN terminal would meet all the necessary operational and security requirements, reduce queues and the entire infrastructure could serve up to 2 million. passengers per year. The current area of ​​the terminal is expanding from 7.3 thousand. kv. m to 11669 square meters. m will be convenient to serve passengers on four incoming and outgoing flights simultaneously, it will comply with the basic IATA comfort recommendations in the boarding and arrival areas. The necessary technological and security equipment will also be purchased, ”the document reads.

The value of the project in Kaunas is 12.55 million. euros.

At that time, at the Palanga Airport (PLQ), according to the plan annex, the improvement is necessary to guarantee safety at the aerodrome and environmental requirements.

“The current pavement of the PLQ runway, taxiway and apron is damaged: cracks have been formed by temperature, repeated and by fatigue, permanent deformations (unevenness), loss of resistance to sliding. The engineering systems are also in poor condition: lighting system, platform lighting, surface water collection systems. The reconstruction will ensure compliance of the infrastructure with the norms and requirements and will avoid flight restrictions or interruption of activities due to the failure of the falling sky and / or traffic light system.

PLQ plans to rebuild a 2,280-meter runway, a 119-meter taxiway and rebuild 62,716 square meters. m platform area. The work will improve the safety aspects of the flight: stop the deterioration of the pavement, improve its smoothness, the percentage of slope (the current does not comply with the ICAO recommendations), the collection of wastewater, new lights ”, it reads in The document.

Evaluation of the Palanga project 24.74 million. euros.

The works are expected to increase the capacity of the VNO passenger terminal by 122.86 percent to 7.8 million. passengers per year. 150 percent is expected in Kaunas. (up to 2 million passengers).

The total value of the three projects is 84.79 million. EUR (excluding VAT).

According to Emilis Ruželė, Head of Policy and Corporate Affairs of the Investor Forum, in addition to these projects already approved, the Investment Committee of the DNA of the Future Economy is considering several projects related to airports.

“There were several questions at the committee meeting. Mainly due to the fact that if a large airport is ever planned between Vilnius and Kaunas, then it may not be worth investing. However, it still makes sense to put the existing infrastructure in order. Construction takes a long time, ”he said.

As you know, the idea of ​​building a new airport between two big cities has been debated in Lithuania for some time. For example, former Transport Minister Rokas Masiulis has said that if it were decided to undertake such a project, it could be completed in 2035.

Marketing will spend 3 million. euros

The DNA Plan for the Economy of the Future has already approved the project “Increasing export competitiveness and added value”, for which the public institution “Travel in Lithuania” with 35 employees is responsible.

It turns out that behind the abstract name, 3 million tourism marketing is hidden. euros.

“Tourism is one of the sectors most affected. Only in the first quarter of this year, tourist flows in Lithuania fell by -20.42% compared to the same period last year. Spending on foreign tourists has increased since 2009 by 390 million. up to 977.8 million euros. However, despite the growth of expenses, the latest data shows a slowdown in growth: in 2018, the income of the Lithuanian tourism sector grew by 9.6 percent and in 2019 – 2.3 percent. Tourists arriving in Lithuania spend almost 5 times more in our country than Lithuanians who travel: foreign tourists spend 82.5 percent, Lithuanians only 17.5 percent. This requires a greater focus on attracting foreign tourists, increasing their costs and prolonging their stay. From a macroeconomic perspective, inbound tourism generates more benefits: by importing tourism services into Lithuania, funds imported from abroad stimulate the country’s economy, create jobs, increase the size and added value of the tourism sector services market, ”he says. the plan.

This year, the influx of inbound tourism is expected to drop by 40%, local – by 25%, and total revenue from the tourism sector will drop by about 500 million. euros.

“The year 2021” Travel in Lithuania “plans to present Lithuania in an innovative way with the planned marketing tools and offer the most suitable tourism products to each target market by the most efficient means.

The proposed marketing measures will be aimed at those markets from which it will be possible to travel in 2021 without linking specific activities to specific markets. All planned activities will be adapted to the situation next year and will be adapted so that we can achieve the main goal: to increase the number of tourists in Lithuania, ”the document states.

Travel in Lithuania operates in 21 target markets: Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Israel, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Russia, China, Japan , U.S.

3 million The budget of one billion euros is allocated to three measures. It is planned to conduct a survey of tourists visiting Lithuania and assess the potential of Lithuania as a tourist direction, organize a three-round business mission “Connecting the Baltic” together with Latvia and Estonia, to introduce Lithuania’s tourism opportunities to foreign markets (57 activities).

All three measures must be implemented before December 31, 2021.

As a result, it is expected that in 2021, tourism revenue will increase by 30% compared to 2020, and the number of foreign tourists staying in Lithuanian accommodation establishments will increase by 35%.

However, there are warnings that procurement procedures can be lengthy and that all measures may not be implemented in the face of the threat of new waves of Covid-19.

As Danutė Mažeikaitė, president of the Tourism Marketing Association, told Delfi, content is more important than form in this area.

“There is a lack of exclusive content. The parties do not seek to promote any product. Why cold borscht, why not another soup? We live in Lithuania, surrounded by nature. We need to activate it. Do we want to activate urban, cultural tourism?

Maybe we want to activate health tourism: we have resorts, sanatoriums. We may want business tourism, but we don’t have a conference center. The content is more important than the form or the amount of money that is spent on it, ”he said.

As you know, the long-term investment economic development plan prepared by the Ministry of Finance, called “DNA of the economy of the future”, provides for a total of 6,300 million. euros.

New investments are expected to amount to 2,200 million. EUR 4.1 billion has already been accelerated and already planned investments have been accelerated. euros.

There are currently 13 projects approved in the plan, but the weekly investment committee should approve more. Read about them in other Delfi posts.