From bastis

Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to the southwest. Across the Baltic Sea to the west lie Sweden and Denmark.

Contents 1 Country Profile 1.1 Geography/Population 1.2 Politics 1.3 Economy 2 Tourism Demand 2.1 General 2.2 International travel 2.3 Travel behaviour 2.4 Holiday planning 2.5 Heritage Tourism 3 Traffic links into the Baltic Sea Region 3.1 Air 3.2 Sea 3.3 Rail 3.4 Road 4 References

Country Profile

Geography/Population

• Land area: 65,300 km² (country comparison to the world: 122)
• Population: 3.5 million inhabitants (country comparison to the world: 130); 50 inhabitants/km²; Lithuanian 84%, Polish 6.1%, Russian 4.9%, Belarusian 1.1%, other or unspecified 3.9%
• Biggest Cities: Capital Vilius (546,000), Kaunas (350,000), Klaipeda (184,000)
• Urbanisation: 67% of the Lithuanian population live in cities
• Religions: Roman Catholic 79%, Russian Orthodox 4.1%, Protestant (including Lutheran and Evangelical Christian Baptist) 1.9%, other or unspecified 5.5%, none 9.5%
• Languages: Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and unspecified 4.4%
• Age structure (Median age: 40.1 years):

0-14 years: 13.8%

15-64 years: 69.7%

65+ years: 16.5%

• Population projection: The Lithuanian population will slightly decrease in the future (2025: 3.0 million inhabitants)

_{Source: CIA - The World Factbook 2011 ^[1], UN Population divison 2010 ^[2]}

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Politics

• Government type: democratic parliamentary republic
• Chief of state: Dalia Grybauskaitė (since 2009)
• Head of government: Andrius Kubilius (since 1999)
• Administration: 10 counties
• Since 1990 independent of the Soviet Union

_{Source: CIA - The World Factbook 2011 ^[1]}

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Economy

	2007	2008	2009	2010*	2011*	2015*
GDP (PPP) in billion US$	61.1	64.2	55.2	56.4	58.9	71.3
GDP development	+13.1%	+5.0%	-14.0%	+2.2%	+4.5%
GDP per capita (PPP) in US$	18,100	19,100	16,500	17,000	17,900	22,100
Inflation rate	5.8%	11.1%	4.2%	1.0%	1.3%
Unemployment rate	4.3%	5.8%	13.7%	18.0%	16.0%

^{*2010, 2011, 2015 data: estimates by IMF, October 2010}

• GDP-composition by sector: services: 56.9% industry: 27.6% agriculture: 4.3%
• Foreign government and business support have helped Lithuania in the transition from the old command economy to a market economy. Lithuania gained membership in the World Trade Organization and implemented liberal reforms and became one of the fastest growing countries in the world last decade. It enjoyed high growth rates after entering the European Union along with other Baltic states, leading to the notion of a Baltic Tiger. Current excellent telecommunication infrastructure and well-educated, multilingual workforce give the possibility to provide high quality business services and produce manufacturing products worldwide.
• Import- and export: Most important partners are Russia, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Estonia (export), Belarus (export)
• Currency: Lithuanian litas, sub-divided into 100 centų (pegged to Euro, 1 Euro = 3.4528 LTL)
• Income distribution: The Lithuanian distibution of income is quite balanced (slightly above-average, position 46 worldwide)
• HDI (Human Development Index): Lithuania is a „High Human Development“ Country (2010: country comparison in the world: 44)
• Media access: worldwide benchmarking of communication infrastructure: Rank 35

_{Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database^[3], CIA - The World Factbook 2011 ^[1], DZT Estland, Lettland, Litauen 2010 ^[4], UNDP Human Development Report 2010 ^[5], OECD Factbook (2010) ^[6], ITU International Telecommunication Union ^[7]}

Tourism Demand

General

• Travel propensity: 65% of the Lithuanian travelled at least once in 2009, either for business or private purposes. Note: travelling was defined as spending one night away from home, for private or business purposes.
• "Private" travel propensity:

59% of the Lithuanian had travelled – for private reasons – at least once in 2009

30% had made at least one holiday trip (4+ nights) and at least one short private trip (1-3 nights)

12% had made at least one holiday trip but no short private trips

17% had made at least one short private trip but no holiday trips

• Travel frequency of the Lithuanian private travellers:

22% of them made exactly one holiday or short private trip in 2009

20% made two

13% made three

24% four to five

8% six to ten

10% more than ten trips

• Domestic holidays: The share of main holiday trips of the Lithuanian with domestic destinations was 43% in 2008. In European comparison this value is quite avaraged.

_{Source: Flash Eurobarometer 291 (2010) ^[8] Flash Eurobarometer 258 (2009) ^[9]}

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International travel

	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Number of international trips of the Lithuanian	1.7 million	1.8 million	1.9 million	2.1 million	2.3 million	1.9 million

• Holiday/business/VFR: 56% of the 1.9 million international trips in 2009 were holiday, 31% business, 13% VFR (visiting friends and relatives)
• Frequency of international travel: on average, every Lithuanian (15+ years old) took 0.6 international trips in 2009
• Regional source markets: 38% of international trips in 2009 originated from the region Zemaitija, 19% from from the region Aukstaitija
• Destinations all international trips 2009:

1. Russia (20%; 0.2 million)

2. Poland (17%; 0.2 million)

3. Germany (13%; 0.1 million)

• Duration of international trips of the Lithuanian 2009:

International holiday trips: 9.5 nights

International VFR trips: 11.1 nights

International business trips: 5.3 nights

• International travel spendings 2009: total 1.0 billion Euro - corresponding to 494 Euro per international trip and 62 Euro per night abroad. Note: including all costs of travel and transport at home and at the destination

_{Source: IPK International: World Travel Monitor 2009. In: DZT Estland, Lettland, Litauen 2010 ^[4]}

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Travel behaviour

• Major Motivation for main holiday trip 2009:

1. Rest/recreation 40% [EU27: 37%]

2. City trip 17% [EU27: 7%]

3. Visiting someone 15% [EU27: 17%]

• Method of transport for main holiday trip 2009:

1. Car 60% [EU27: 48%]

2. Bus 18% [EU27: 6%]

2. Airplane 18% [EU27: 35%]

4. Train 3% [EU27: 7%]

5. Boat 2% [EU27: 2%]

• Organisation of main holiday trip 2009:

72% Travel organised individually [EU27: 58%]

11% Travel booked through travel agency [EU27: 13%]

4% Package tour booked via Internet [EU27: 11%]

2% Package tour booked through travel agency [EU27: 10%]

11% Other [EU27: 7%]

_{Source: Flash Eurobarometer 291 (2010) ^[8]}

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Holiday planning

• Holiday destination choice criteria of the Lithuanian:

1. The environment 42% [EU27: 32%]

2. Cultural heritage 25% [EU27: 25%]

3. Entertainment 13% [EU27: 16%]

• Information sources for holiday planning:

1. Recommendations of friends/relatives: total 72% [EU27: 58%], most important source 29% [EU27: 30%]

2. Personal experience: total 47% [EU27: 31%], most important source 34% [EU27: 18%]

3. Internet: total 34% [EU27: 42%], most important source 17% [EU27: 24%]

4. Travel and tourist agencies: total 17% [EU27: 22%], most important source 7% [EU27: 11%]

5. Guidebooks/magazines: total 9% [EU27: 12%], most important source 4% [EU27: 5%]

6. Media (TV, radio, newspaper): total 6% [EU27: 9%], most important source 1% [EU27: 3%]

7. Catalogues/brochures: total 5% [EU27: 14%], most important source 1% [EU27: 6%]

• Destination preferences:

49% Traditional, well-known destinations [EU27: 57%]

26% Not important, no preference [EU27: 13%]

20% Non-traditional, emerging destinations [EU27: 28%]

• Planned destination main holiday trip 2010:

54% Lithuania

5% Baltic Sea Region (outside Lithuania)

26% Outside BSR

15% No main holiday planned

_{Source: Flash Eurobarometer 291 (2010) ^[8]}

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Heritage Tourism

• Major Motivation for main holiday trip 2009:

1. Rest/recreation 40% [EU27: 37%]

2. City trip 17% [EU27: 7%]

3. Visiting someone 15% [EU27: 17%]

4. Sun/beach 12% [EU27: 19%]

5. Wellness/health 10% [EU27: 3%]

6. Nature 3% [EU27: 6%]

7. Sports-related 2% [EU27: 4%]

8. Culture/religion 0.4% [EU27: 6%]

• Holiday destination choice criteria of the Lithuanian:

1. The environment 42% [EU27: 32%]

2. Cultural heritage 25% [EU27: 25%]

3. Entertainment 13% [EU27: 16%]

4. Festivals/events 4% [EU27: 5%]

5. Art 3% [EU27: 6%]

6. Gastronomy 2% [EU27: 6%]

• Expectations about emerging destinations:

Expectations about emerging destinations vary widely across the different European countries. In Lithuania respondents' main expections lay in lower prices (28% [EU27: 18%]) and better value for money (26% [EU27: 21%]) corresponding to a budget traveller. Consequently other expectations, such as the discovery of local culture and lifestyle (50% [EU27: 33%]) only played a minor role for the Lithuanian

_{Source: Flash Eurobarometer 291 (2010) ^[8]}

Traffic links into the Baltic Sea Region

Air

Vilnius International Airport is Lithuania's major civil airport. Other international airports with connections into the Baltic Sea Region are Palanga Airport and Kaunas Airport. Please look up the airport links for their current connections into the BSR:

• Vilnius Airport
• Palanga Airport
• Kaunas Airport

Sea

There are ferry-connections from Lithuania to Germany (Saßnitz/Rügen and Kiel) and Sweden (Karlshamn). A current overview of the ferry lines departing from International Sea Ferry Terminal in Klaipėda city (Smiltynė) towards the Baltic Sea Region can be found here or at DFDS Seaways.

Rail

Due to a little developed railway system, trains are not very popular in Lithuania. There are several international railways that go through the country's main station in Vilnius, but also through Kaunas, Šiauliai, Klaipėda and Panevėžys. Check Lithuanian Railways for more detailed routes and information .

In Lithuania, it is quicker to travel by bus than by train. Further information about international routes can be found here.

Road

The network of local, national and international roads is well developed. There are motor highway connections between the main cities, e.g. from Vilnius to Kaunas (E85/A1), to Riga (Latvia) (E67/A1) or to Warszaw (Poland) (E67/A5). Heading towards the Baltic Sea Region, you can leave Lithuania at these border points: Kalvarijai or Lazdijai (to Poland); Lavoriškės, Medininkai, Raigardas or Šalčininkaito (to Belarus); Nida, Panemunė or ybartai (to Kaliningrad/Russia); Būtingė, Kalvis, Saločiai, Obeliai or Smėlynė (to Latvia).

For further information on roads in Lithuania see here.

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} CIA - The World Factbook, January 2011 [1]
2. ↑ UN Population division 2010 [2]
3. ↑ IMF (International Monetary Fund): World Economic Outlook Database, October 2010 [3]
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus: Marktinformationen Estland, Lettland, Litauen [4]
5. ↑ UNDP Human Development Report 2010[5]
6. ↑ OECD Factbook 2010: Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics [6]
7. ↑ ITU International Telecommunication Union, Measuring the Information Society 2010 [7]
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3} European Commission: Flash Eurobarometer 291, March 2010: Survey on the attitudes of Europeans towards tourism [8]
9. ↑ European Commission: Flash Eurobarometer 258, March 2019: Survey on the attitudes of Europeans towards tourism [9]