Tourists are invited to the capital in an unusual way: this entertainment sets Vilnius apart from other cities in the world.

Restaurants and hotels, guides and tour operators, museums and concert halls: the beginning of the foreign tourism season changes the work rhythm of many different institutions and professions every year. This year, the opportunities to receive foreign guests had to wait a long time. However, after the government lifts the obligation of self-isolation for those arriving from many European countries, and with the gradual appearance of new flights on airport hours, Vilnius announces the official start of the foreign tourism season.

“We cannot compare this summer with any other and we understand that this year the tourist flows in Vilnius will not be as we were used to calculating.” Today, however, we want to be happy that residents of many European countries can already start planning a trip to Vilnius and communicate this message out loud to the world, “says Inga Romanovskienė, director of the Vilnius Agency for Tourism and Business Development Go Vilnius, who organized the opening campaign of the symbolic season.

The balloons chosen to report the news are one of the most important symbols of Vilnius tourism and a very popular entertainment for city guests. During the balloon championship at Vingis Park in the capital, which was probably the first in the world after the quarantine, up to 38 balloons filled the Vilnius sky and, along with them, an invitation to come to Vilnius and discover the city as a true balloon capital. Although Vilnius was later hit by a storm, all of the balloons managed to land earlier.

“Amazing balloon views distinguish Vilnius from other cities in the world. I have no doubt that foreign guests who will soon return to the city will appreciate this and other advantages of Vilnius: we are determined to surprise them more than once, ”says Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Šimašius.

Among all the abundance of balloons, a balloon with the message “Vilnius is calling” stood out, the purpose of which is to inform the world that Vilnius is open to travelers from abroad. At the same time, representatives of the hotel industry from different fields met in the sky: Vilnius’ most hospitable guide, Petras Staselis, the director of the MO Milda Ivanauskienė Museum, the most hospitable in 2019. Rūta Pulkauninkaitė-Macikė, Head of the Hotel Pacai, Živilė Diawara, President of the Association of Creative Industries, Narimantas Miežys, Sommelier, Evalda Šiškauskienė, President of the Lithuanian Association of Hotels and Restaurants, Žydrė Gavelienė, President of the National Association of Tourism, Inga Romanovskienė, Director of the National Association de Turismo, Inga Romanovsknien The objective of this visual campaign is to reveal through specific people on the globe that representatives of different professions are waiting for the guests in Vilnius.

“We went up to the sky in hot air with balloons, and as soon as we landed, a storm started. It’s quite symbolic, because this is exactly the same tourist season: unpredictable and not as serene as ever, but our hospitality sector is ready to go. overcome all the storms that will affect it, ”said Inga Romanovskienė, director of Go Vilnius after the flight.

Balloons are considered one of the most exclusive attractions in Vilnius and a kind of business card for the city. Vilnius is one of the few capitals in Europe that you can fly in a hot air balloon: the size and location of the city and the enthusiastic pilot community are favorable. Therefore, entertainment is equally popular with local and foreign tourists, and the latter often name hot air balloons flying over the city as one of the unique sides of Vilnius.

“The hot air balloons that have returned to the sky so abundant today are a great expression of the optimism of the city. We hope that, together with them, the guests will return to the city, that they will be able to enjoy their favorite entertainment, as well as every year, both by hot air balloon and by seeing the balloons have taken off, “says Vytautas Sviderskis, president of the Lithuanian Federation of Aircraft.

The visual campaign to invite foreign tourists was organized by the Go Vilnius agency together with the Lithuanian Federation of Airmen. The action took place during the outdoor balloon championship.

Vilnius is currently freely accessible from 26 European countries. Regular flights to Vilnius are operated from 9 countries, yesterday by government decision he was allowed to resume flights from 6 more countries.