"In recent years, the Lithuanian tourism ecosystem has faced unforeseen challenges, but the sector has shown a remarkable ability to recover and transform, discovering new opportunities and offering new services. With global tourism rapidly returning to pre-pandemic levels, Lithuania is not lagging behind the trends - we expect to receive around 1.3 million foreign tourists this year. Therefore, we must work consistently to stimulate tourist flows, find new markets and promote local tourism," said Minister of the Economy and Innovation A. Armonaitė.
The creative process will continue at the first Tourism Hackathon, which aims to promote the use of modern technology and innovation to address the challenges facing the tourism sector. For the first time in history, the tourism event, where the public and private sectors will work together to develop the future of tourism, will take place over three days, from Thursday to Saturday. The Lithuanian Tourism Forum will be attended by both Lithuanian and foreign participants in the tourism ecosystem.
"This year we have gathered not only to learn about the trends in the tourism sector, but also to work together on the most important tourism document and to honour the most deserving representatives of tourism who contribute to the sustainable development of the sector. I congratulate all participants in the tourism ecosystem who encourage more and more Lithuanians and foreigners to choose Lithuania as a tourist destination," said Karolis Žemaitis, Deputy Minister of the Economy and Innovation.
This year, five people were honoured for their services to Lithuanian tourism. The awards were presented to Henrieta Miliauskienė, founder of the Slow Tourism Association and creator of the Slow Tourism concept, and Aušra Česnulevičienė, guide, educator and founder of the creative house "Druskos studija". Two directors of tourist information centres were also among the winners: Sandra Kasmauskienė, director of the Plungė Tourist Information Centre, on whose initiative the Summer Games have been organised for three years in a row to get to know the region and promote tourism, and Romena Savickienė, director of the Klaipėda Tourist Information Centre and president of the Cruise Shipping Association, who has been presenting Lithuania as a maritime country for twenty years. The award was also presented to Milda Ivanauskienė, Director of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MOA), the largest private museum of modern and contemporary art in the Baltic States.
This year, Lithuania's tourism sector has received international recognition - we have been elected to the Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation until 2027, together with 32 other countries out of 160. Our country has also signed tourism cooperation agreements with South Korea and the Sultanate of Oman. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Lithuania's membership in the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. The Law on Tourism has been in force in our country for 25 years.
An important step in the tourism sector is the historic agreement signed by the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation, the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Vilnius City Municipality on the development of routes of interest to business and inbound tourism.
This year also saw the initiation and adoption of the Law on Sustainable Development of Resorts and Resort Areas, which will ensure the sustainable development of resort areas and their steady and long-term development.
