Survey of Latvians and Estonians who have visited Lithuania: what attracts them to our country?

Holidays are desired and business trips are carefully organized

Estonian and Latvian tourists surveyed in Lithuania missed the changes more than ever this summer. When examining the priorities that determine the choice of travel, it was observed that compared to 2019, greater desire to escape from a familiar environment. Furthermore, the tendency to avoid rallies has diminished. This is likely due to a prolonged quarantine, according to the press release.

Despite the desire to change the environment, tourists remained wary. According to the survey, travelers in Latvia and Estonia paid close attention to the safety of COVID-19, but this was the least important for short-term vacationers in Lithuania. More attention was paid to this aspect by business and vacation travelers of more than four days, as well as older travelers and families with children.

“The similar epidemiological situation in the Baltic countries was a great advantage this summer. Due to the resulting travel bubble in the Baltic states, even tourists who attach great importance to safety did not shy away from coming to Lithuania. The study showed that returning travelers were braver than business tourists. Depending on the purpose of the trip, only 13% came to Lithuania on business. of all the tourists. For comparison, in 2019, business tourists accounted for 43 percent. the total flow of tourists from the Baltic countries. This allows us to understand that business habits are changing and the recovery from travel will be slower than leisure tourism, ”says Dalius Morkvėnas, Lithuania Travel Director.

She plans trips independently

Residents of Estonia and Latvia this season mainly chose short trips and did not spend a lot of time on trip planning. 18 percent of those surveyed went to Lithuania over the weekend, and 44 percent. 2-3 days. As Lithuania is a nearby and relatively well-known destination, the majority (52%) of those who arrived planned their trip in less than a week.

Tourists from these countries tended to undertake the journey on their own. Only 16 percent. respondents came to Lithuania with an individual or group tour, everyone else did it themselves. The majority (66%) of the respondents arrived in Lithuania by car. However, Estonians were more likely to choose air travel and Latvians to travel by bus.

Attracted by gastronomic experiences and the capital

Neighbors were more motivated to come to Lithuania this summer by the desire to get to know the local culture, taste national dishes and drinks, and explore Lithuanian nature. It was noted that interest in Lithuanian cuisine has increased since last year.

Guests from abroad enthusiastically visited local restaurants (81% of respondents) and tasted local cuisine (62%). Tourists were also attracted by the country’s capital (60%), historical sites (57%), and museums and galleries (54%). Older guests (55+) were more attracted to smaller towns and villages.

“The forecasts of international tourism organizations and us have been confirmed: spontaneous individual trips to nearby countries have been popular this season. Based on this, we formed the entire product and marketing strategy: we offered tourists individual routes in cities and regions, active leisure products in nature and we pay a lot of attention to gastronomic tourism. It is obvious that these decisions have paid off, “says the head of” Travel in Lithuania “.

Positive experiences are crucial

However, the experience of visiting restaurants, tasting local dishes, and visiting museums and galleries did not live up to everyone’s expectations. In the meantime, visiting the capital and the historical sites, it did not disappoint. The general impression of the Estonian and Latvian travelers about Lithuania remained good and even increased slightly. Eight out of ten travelers said they would like to come back here and recommend others to come.

“Good experiences are especially important, because residents of the Baltic countries rely more on advice from family, friends and colleagues when planning trips. According to our data, more than half of respondents cite recommendations from family members as the top source of information when planning trips. Social media also has a significant impact on travel plans. This is a very important message for the tourism business: to maintain a rich flow from neighboring countries, it is important to create a good impression on existing tourists and have active and representative accounts on social networks ”, says D. Morkvėnas.

Comparing this season and 2019. Trends in the choice of a trip, the importance of recommendations from friends and the desire to experience what is seen on social networks have increased. Still, Latvian tourists were more attentive to the opinions and information of relatives on social media. Residents of Estonia used websites (Lithuania.travel, TripAdvisor, others) more frequently than neighbors of Latvia.

The survey was conducted throughout Lithuania. 785 tourists from Estonia and Latvia attended. Although most of the guests were interviewed on the streets of Vilnius, more than half – in other cities and tourist attractions in Lithuania. The survey was carried out by UAB Eurotela, the data was analyzed by UAB PJ LT. The full study can be found here.