Of the three Baltic States, 2014 was very successful for Latvian tourism sector. It is believed that tourists were attracted to Latvia by last year events of European Capital of Culture, which took place in Riga. An inbound tourism in Latvia grew by 14.5%, in Lithuania by 7.7%, and in Estonia by 2.2%.
Local tourism grew in all three Baltic States: in Latvia by 13.2%, in Lithuania by 8.8.%, in Estonia by 6.1%.
The flow of tourists from Russia last year fell in all three Baltic countries. In Latvia the number of Russian tourists decreased by 4.1%, 9.6% – in Estonia. Advance forecasts of State Department of Tourism have proven in Lithuania – the country attained 8.8% less of Russian tourists during 2014 (in Q4 of last year, the decline of Russian tourists amounted to 19.7%).
"The advance forecasts have proven that the loss of Russian tourists will be offset by increase of flows from other most important markets of Lithuanian inbound tourism and the neighbouring Baltic countries. In the first top-10 of the most important markets of Lithuanian inbound tourism fell Russia and Poland (- 7.7%) and the highest growth was noted by Ukraine (65.2%), Latvia (25.9%), USA (24.8%) and Italy (16.9%). We are also very pleased with results of Germany and Estonia. From Germany we attained 9.1% more of tourists, 13% more from Estonia, and in the first time USA entered the TOP- 10 of the most important markets of Lithuanian inbound tourism. The overall number of tourists did not decrease from Eastern markets: not only the market of Ukraine but also of Belarus grew (15.9%)," said VTD Director Jurgita Kazlauskiene.
In the second top-10 the highest growth was noted from Israel: Lithuania received two times more tourists from Israel than in 2013. The second according the growth is Japan (4.1%).
