Holidays with closed walls: will Lithuanian cities attract tourists?

With the entry into force of the quarantine and the tightening of restrictions, will the Christmas season be possible in Lithuania?

The focus is on clear safety communication.

According to the media research and analysis company Mediaskopas, just like in the spring, the media is experiencing a sharp increase in the amount of information related to Covid-19. It is estimated that published reports on this topic represent around 27%. information flow in Lithuania, published in a press release.

“We note that the predominant informational background in the media about the introduction of quarantine, additional restrictions and security requirements is already sowing anxiety in the subconscious of tourists. This is also reflected in published reports, in which, for example, Palanga tourism representatives record anticipated hotel reservations canceled by tourists. Reports of cancellations with similar content appeared in the spring, at the beginning of the first quarantine, ”says Agnė Kavaliauskaitė, an analyst at Mediaskopas.

According to Greta Lopetkaitė, project director of the communication agency Berta &, this behavior of tourists is a natural reaction to the situation in the country. “On the one hand, it shows the public awareness that it is much safer to give up all planned unnecessary travel and entertainment when illnesses become so great. On the other hand, such behavior is also determined by panic in society and the fear of the uncertainty of the situation. Therefore, the most important task for representatives of hotels and other fields of tourism is to reassure their clients by clearly communicating the changed rules, the security of their services and the measures taken to control the possible spread of Covid-19 ”, shares G. Lopetkaitė.

According to her, during the cold season, Lithuanians were used to relaxing in the quiet resorts in the south or going on adventures while skiing in the mountains. Focusing on this segment would also allow the country’s cities and resorts to at least partially cover the missing holiday flows.

And although this year’s Christmas and New Years will be different, the country’s main cities emphasize that the coronavirus pandemic will not deprive the population of festive cheer. For example, there will be no regular Christmas tree lighting and a festive concert in the capital, which, according to the organizers, will be replaced by a television format. During the festive period, it will be possible to see the city’s Christmas tree and the Christmas town live, but with strict regulation of visitor flows. “It is gratifying that the festival organizers, with public safety in mind, adjust the holiday schedules and are already actively communicating about it,” notes G. Lopetkaitė.

Lessons learned in the summer will be helpful

In preparation for the winter holiday season in Lithuania, it is helpful for cities and resorts in the country to remember the lessons learned in the summer. Active and strategically planned communication from major cities determined that in 2019. In the summer of 2006, Palanga and Neringa, the main media tourist centers, were removed from the top of this year’s list.

“The competition between Vilnius and Kaunas with the traditional summer resorts due to the attention of tourists was clearly reflected in the media. Favorite summer cities for Lithuanian tourists in 2020 in the context of tourism in June-August, mentioned in a total of 7289 reports. Compared to the same period last year, it was up 9.3 percent. growth of the amount of information ”, – emphasizes A. Kavaliauskaitė.

According to Mediaskopas, the country’s large cities were not only mentioned more, but also communicated much more actively. “The mention of Vilnius and Kaunas in the context of tourism accounted for about 25 percent. of all the posts published this summer. Mentions of the country’s capital increased 108% over the previous year, and Kaunas mentions reached 76%. increase. Meanwhile, the number of mentions to Palanga and Neringa decreased by 10 percent this summer ”, concludes A. Kavaliauskaitė.

It can be noted that the city of Kaunas was elevated to the first position in terms of the number of mentions in the media by the communication campaign “It’s Kaunastic”, which is actively developing in the summer. Meanwhile, Vilnius sought to attract the attention of the media and visitors through specific initiatives of the Vilnius Go Vilnius Tourism and Business Development Agency. Vilnius’s assessment as a safe and attractive summer vacation destination, especially among neighboring countries, was also significantly evaluated by the European Best Destinations rating, which recognized the Lithuanian capital as one of the safest places to vacation after the first wave Covid-19 decreased.

“This summer season was a great example of how cities and spas in our country reacted differently to the unusual situation. While the big cities did their best to become vacation capitals, the traditional resorts seemed to have decided not to overdo it. In order to attract more visitors, Vilnius and Kaunas followed a constant communication strategy and spoke out loud about the safe summer entertainment offered in these cities. Meanwhile, Palanga and Neringa, after having appreciated the already record flows of vacationers, left the communication almost on their own, relying only on the air and the sea of ​​summer. Fortunately, the weather on the Lithuanian coast this summer has been really good, ”says G. Lopetkaitė.

Partnerships also increase visibility

The increase in local tourism in the summer also revealed that Lithuanian cities, such as Zapyškis or Kulautuva, which are less familiar but offer unique entertainment, attract the attention of tourists. According to Mediaskopas, the mention of Kulautuva in 2020 In June-August, it increased by up to 123 percent, and in Zapyškis – by 93 percent.

And although in the total flow of information, both campuses occupied only about 3 percent. All reports show a growth trend, comparing the change in the number of mentions this summer and last year.

“When analyzing the mention of Zapyškis and Kulautuva in the media, we also note that cities located in the Kaunas district are often mentioned in the same reports that mention Kaunas itself. This reflects not only the association between Kaunas and these cities in the organization of joint tourist entertainment, such as catamaran sailing, but also the influence of the communication developed by Kaunas on the visibility of these cities in the media ”, says G. Lopetkaitė .

Vilūnė Kairienė, Head of Solutions and Data Analytics at Mediaskopas, adds that she emphasizes smaller cities that stand out for their authenticity while increasing the overall communication flow. During the last year period, the number of mentions of “Travel in Lithuania” in the media grew by up to 35 percent. And most of the information communicated by the agency itself included the exchange of authentic routes that have not yet been discovered by tourists from Lithuania. “