Tourism in Lithuania up almost 10 percent

The number of tourists from EU countries totalled 217 thousand (9 percent more than a year before), from non-EU countries – 158.1 thousand (up 10.5 percent). The number guests from Lithuania grew 9.4 percent and totalled 262.6 thousand.

The majority of foreign tourists came from Russia, 57.6 thousand (in II quarter 2013, 60.2 thousand), Germany, 55.1 thousand (in II quarter 2013, 47.8 thousand), Belarus, 42.5 thousand (in II quarter 2013, 36 thousand), Poland, 38.2 thousand (in II quarter 2013, 45 thousand), Latvia, 27.4 thousand (in II quarter 2013, 20.9 thousand), the United Kingdom, 13.2 thousand (in II quarter 2013, 13.3 thousand), Estonia, 13.1 thousand (in II quarter 2013, 11.2 thousand), and Ukraine, 11.7 thousand (in II quarter 2013, 6.9 thousand). More than half of foreign tourists – 57.2 percent – stayed in Vilnius.

Almost a quarter of all tourists (23.4 percent) stayed in accommodation establishments of Lithuania’s resort towns: Druskininkai, 65 thousand (by 1.3 percent less than in II quarter 2013), Palanga, 58 thousand (by 11 percent more), Neringa, 14.6 thousand (by 4.1 percent more), Birštonas, 11.4 thousand (by 20.2 percent more).

In January-June 2014, accommodation establishments received more than 1 million tourists, or 11.8 percent more than in the same period of 2013; the number of foreigners amounted to 586.4 thousand (12.2 percent more).

In the second quarter of 2014, compared to the same quarter of 2013, Lithuanian hotels and motels accommodated by 8 percent more tourists; the number of foreign tourists accommodated increased by 7.4 percent. The number of rooms in hotels and motels totalled 13.6 thousand (in II quarter 2013, 13.1 thousand), that of beds – 27.8 thousand (in II quarter 2013, 26.8 thousand). The hotel and motel room occupancy rate stood at 51.7 percent (in II quarter 2013, 50.9 percent), the bed occupancy rate – 39.6 percent (in II quarter 2013, 38.6 percent).

In the second quarter of 2014, Vilnius hotels and motels accommodated 236.3 thousand tourists, which is by 9.2 percent more than in the same quarter of 2013; the number of foreign tourists amounted to 197.8 thousand, or by 8.9 percent more.

In the first half-year 2014, hotels and motels received 844.5 thousand tourists, or by 10.3 percent more than in the same period of 2013; the number of foreigners amounted to 518 thousand (by 10.2 percent more).