Between October 10-14, Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania will host the international Baltic Connecting event, which is the largest event of its kind in the Baltic States. The aim of the event is to present tourism opportunities in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to tourism professionals from long-haul markets (the United States, Japan, China, and South Korea), and help them establish business connections from each of the three Baltic countries.
Baltic Connecting is a joint initiative created by all three Baltic States. In recent years, Lithuania has focused on attracting tourists from long-haul destinations. In 2017, Lithuania experienced an increase of tourists by 33.4% from China, 30.6% from South Korea, 21.9% from the U.S. and 1.6% from Japan.
In-line with the number of tourists from long-haul destinations visiting Lithuania, 20 travel agents from China, 16 from the U.S., 11 from Japan, and 8 from South Korea will be present at Baltic Connecting 2018.
“As tourism across the Baltic States grows, there is an increasing need for Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to establish long-term business relationships with long-haul markets,” explained Indrė Trakimaitė-Šeškuvienė, a representative from Lithuania’s State Tourism Department.
“The number of Japanese tourists to the Baltic States is constantly growing, therefore the level of interest in the region from travel professionals is increasing,” added Shigeyoshi Noto, the CEO of Foresight Marketing – a Japanese tourism marketing company. “Baltic Connecting has already established itself as an key-date on the Japanese tourism calendar, so several VIPs will be attending this year’s event in Vilnius. What’s more, the Baltic States experienced increased visibility in the travel press as all three countries celebrated 100 years of independence in 2018.”
During the weeklong event, invited foreign travel trade professionals will have the opportunity to visit all three Baltic States, and discover tourism possibilities and attractions in all countries. For instance, Baltic Connecting attendees will be able to experience an educational amber program in Vilnius, take a walk through Riga’s Art Nouveau quarter, or go on a chocolate making course in Estonia.
Baltic Connecting 2018 is expected to contribute to the future continued growth of tourism across the Baltic States, as well as establish new contacts for the tourism industries in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
