2024-07-27 12:48:22
Makaliaus Guide: Active travelers who don’t want to sit in one place are on the rise
Lithuanians choose less and less “all-inclusive” vacations and want to travel more actively themselves, says Rimvydas Širvinskas, head of travel organizer Makalius. According to him, the groups organized by cruises, mountain hikes and guides in the big cities quickly filled up, and it was even necessary to increase the number of guided tours.
“The uniqueness of this year is that everything sold out quickly enough, and the interest started during the pandemic, when people did not want to be in hotels with many people and wanted to go somewhere in nature. We had to increase the number of such trips, but people are more active in guided trips as well. The more we add groups with a Lithuanian-speaking guide, even to European cities – Istanbul, Barcelona, Rome, Paris – even such groups are getting more and more crowded,” said R. Širvinskas to Eltai.
According to R. Širvinskas, the general flow of travelers and competition between tour operators is currently growing. This, according to him, means that more and more tourists are choosing to vacation at the beginning or end of the season, thus avoiding the heat and higher prices.
The travel organizer singled out northern countries as the most popular holiday destinations, which are becoming more attractive not only to Lithuanian, but also to all European travelers.
“Lithuanians choose not only hot destinations during the summer, but pay attention to the north, to Scandinavia (…). Orders have been increasing in the direction of Iceland, where it rarely warms up to 15-16 degrees in the summer, Norwegian fjords are also becoming popular, both sightseeing trips and cruises,” he said.
Tez Tour spokeswoman: The surge in travel popularity after the pandemic continues
Inga Aukštuolytė, head of the public relations and marketing department of the travel organizer Tez Tour, said that the flow of travelers has already surpassed the pre-pandemic level in 2023. According to her, 653 thousand passengers were served in three Lithuanian airports in June. passengers – 15 percent more than in the same period last year.
According to the representative of “Tez Tour”, significant changes in travelers’ habits have not been noticed – Lithuanians prefer to take a relaxing vacation as before.
“The data of the representative survey of Lithuanian residents show that 45 percent 38 percent of the respondents want to rest from work and stress during the holidays. – to change the environment, 31 percent. – rest by the sea, 15 percent. – indulge in sunbathing. Therefore, it is not surprising that Lithuanians usually choose the so-called “beach vacation” this year as well, during which they combine relaxation by the sea with excursions and active activities,” said I. Aukštuolytė.
“Turkey continues to be the first choice of Lithuanian travelers, which combines wonderful vacation conditions, pleasant weather, and an excellent price-quality ratio. (…). In terms of popularity, Turkey is not inferior to the Greek islands – Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, and the Peloponnese region on the mainland is also an active holiday destination. Among travelers’ favorite destinations are Portugal’s Madeira, cosmopolitan Barcelona and Spain’s Mallorca,” she explained.
Among the growing popularity of travel destinations, she singled out European destinations near the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
“Compared to last year, the direction of Italy is becoming extremely popular. According to Tez Tour, the number of travelers to this country increased almost 3 times in the first half of the year. 126 percent the number of travelers to Spanish resorts also increased, by 26 percent. – to Bulgaria”, she said.
“Novaturo” representative: Lithuanians vacationing in resort countries are also becoming more adventurous
The most popular summer travel destinations among Lithuanians remain Turkey and the Greek islands, as well as Montenegro and Tunisia, but travelers who like these destinations are also looking for educational activities, assures Miglė Bielinytė, communications manager of travel organizer Novaturas.
“More and more Lithuanians want to spend their vacation not only in the chosen hotel, but also to get to know more about the nature, history, and culture of the chosen country, so they are looking for educational travel options and looking for meaningful leisure time,” she said.
Novaturo’s representative also notes the growing habit of travelers to plan vacations in advance. Some Lithuanians are already planning this winter’s or even next summer’s vacation.
“While on vacation in the summer, Lithuanians also spend this time planning their upcoming vacations. Some of them plan their trips in advance, 6-12 months in advance. until departure, thus ensuring the opportunity to choose from a wide range of offers and hotels (…). During advance sales, you can choose from a wide range of flights and hotels, as well as take advantage of discounts and additional benefits”, said M. Bielinytė.
According to the data of the State Data Agency, from Lithuania abroad in 2024 317.4 thousand people traveled abroad in the first quarter. of the country’s population, approximately the same as during the same period last year. The average duration of a trip abroad was 6.8 nights.
2024-07-27 12:48:22