Analytics, Lithuania, Tourism

Most foreign visitors with one or more overnight stays arrived in Lithuania for leisure (63.8%), 36.2% – for business purposes. In 2009, compared to 2008, the decrease in the number of business trips was not as large (-13.4%) as that of leisure trips (-18.6%). The larger portion of foreign visitors, were males, who accounted for 68% of all tourists. The main source of information about Lithuania (indicated by 48% of tourists) was friends and relatives. For every third tourist, it was the first visit to Lithuania.

More than half of foreigners used road transport – 60% (in 2008, 56%); air transport was used by 31% (in 2008, 36%), rail transport – 6% (in 2008, 6%), sea transport – 3% (in 2008, 2%) of foreign tourists.

In 2009, most overnight visitors arrived from Belarus (18%, or 247.3 thous.), Russia (14%, or 189.4 thous.), Latvia (11%, o r 149.4 thous.), Poland (11%, or 141.5 thous.), and Germany (10%, or 135.2 thous.). In 2009, compared to 2008, the number of overnight trips from Belarus increased by 18.6%. The largest impact on the decrease in the number of trips in 2009, compared to 2008, was made by a decrease in the number of trips from Poland – by 22 , Russia – by 16.7 , and Latvia – by 17.9%. The number of trips to Lithuania from EU countries decreased by 21.3% (in 2009, 777.4 thous.; in 2008, 988.3 thous.), from non-EU member states – by 9.5% (in 2009, 563.6 thous.; in 2008, 623 thous.).

Last year, the average duration of a foreigner’s trip to Lithuania amounted to 4.5 nights (in 2008, 4.9 nights). In 2009, compared to 2008, the number of longer trips (with 4 or more overnight stays) decreased by 17.5%; such trips made up 26% of all overnight trips. In 2009, the total number of overnight stays amounted to 6.1 million, and, compared to 2008, decreased by 23.1%.

In 2009, average expenditure per foreign overnight visitor in Lithuania amounted to about one thousand litas, which was by 12% less than in 2008. The highest expenditure per tourist trip was recorded for tourists from Israel and United States – about LTL 2.2 thousand per trip with 9 overnight stays, the lowest – for tourists from Latvia and Estonia (on average, LTL 595 per trip with 3 overnight stays). In 2009, total expenditure incurred during trips with one or more overnight stays amounted to LTL 1.3 billion, which is by 27% less than in 2008.

Half (51%) of foreign tourists indicated that they stayed in hotels and motels, 36% – at relatives’ and friends’. The most popular places visited by foreign tourists were Vilnius – 66%, Kaunas – 22%, Klaipėda – 18%, Trakai – 12, and Palanga – 9%. Almost all (96%) foreign tourists gave a very good or good assessment to their trips to Lithuania.

Foreigners usually went on a same-day trip for shopping (35%) or business (26%). In 2009, same-day visitors in Lithuania spent LTL 809.2 million, which is by 10% more than in 2008. Almost half (43%) of expenditure was on shopping. Average expenditure of a foreigner per same-day trip amounted to LTL 304 (in 2008, LTL 316).

In 2009, almost half of same-day visitors arrived from Latvia (1119.1 thousand, or 42%), Poland (748.9 thousand, or 28%), Belarus (284.8 thousand, or 11%), Russia (226.9 thousand, or 9%), and Estonia (154.1 thousand, or 6%). 

Inbound tourism

*Leisure / holidays covers leisure time, visits to friends and relatives, health promotion, shopping, etc.

Note. Due to rounding, the sum of lines or columns in some tables may disagree with the “total”.