Lithuania 3.5.6

The Lithuanian tourism industry is regulated by the Law on Tourism (1998). The Ministry of Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania is responsible for the policy of the development of tourism, resort and resort areas and the implementation of the functions of international cooperation in the field of tourism. The main objectives of the Ministry are as follows: to identify tourism development priorities, promote the development of competitive tourism products, reduce seasonality in tourism, and increase the number of tourists visiting Lithuania. The Tourism Policy Division of the Ministry is responsible for international agreements in the field of tourism as well as for maintaining relations with diplomatic missions of foreign countries and the Republic of Lithuania.

In 2018, the Lithuanian Government abolished the State Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Economy and Innovation and established a new public institution, Lithuania Travel (VšĮ ‘Keliauk Lietuvoje’), that started to work on 1 January 2019. The reform was made with the aim of separating tourism marketing and control functions. The new institution, Lithuania Travel, carries out marketing and tourism promotion functions and is responsible for raising the awareness of Lithuania as a tourism destination and for the development of inbound and local tourism. Lithuania Travel is subordinated to the Ministry of Economy and Innovation. The function of the supervision of tourism service providers that was also performed by the Department of Tourism was transferred to the State Consumer Rights Protection Authority. The authority is responsible for the supervision of tour operators, retailers, tour package sellers and accommodation providers, as well as for the representation of the interests of tourists in the event of an insolvency or bankruptcy of the tour operator.

Lithuania’s tourism strategy is set out in the document Lithuania’s Tourism Roadmap, approved by the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation in 2024. It sets out Lithuania’s tourism vision: “A sustainable and inclusive tourism sector that makes a significant contribution to Lithuania’s economy, is competitive in the region, and resilient to crises.” The main strategic target—the indicator for Task 1.12 under Strategic Goal 1 in the National Progress Plan—is to be achieved by 2030: to increase the share of gross value added created by the tourism sector in total gross value added to 4.47%. To achieve the strategic goal and implement the vision, actions are planned in line with the European Union’s Roadmap (Transition Pathway): the green transition, digital transition, sector resilience and governance, workforce and skills, and effective marketing.

By 2025, Lithuania’s tourism sector had largely recovered from COVID-19 restrictions. The number of tourists slightly exceeded the 2019 level (+1.7%), however, almost entirely due to domestic travellers (+26% vs 2019), while foreign arrivals remained about a quarter lower (–25%). Overnight stays were close to—but still below—2019 (–3%): domestic nights hit a record high (+15%), whereas foreign nights were down by roughly a quarter (–25%). The average stay shortened from about 2.22 to 2.10 nights per tourist, driven by shorter domestic trips.

Table 25: Number of tourists in Lithuania in 2017–2024

Source: Lithuania Travel

Table 26: Number of overnight stays in 2017–2024

Source: Lithuania Travel