Wellness tourism in Lithuania: assessing potential and seeking ways to strengthen the sector

Problem

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the Lithuanian tourism sector. According to the State Data Agency, in 2020, tourism output and value added almost halved compared to 2019, with the number of tourist arrivals shrinking by almost 70%, local tourism consumption falling by more than 20% and inbound tourism by more than 50%. Although domestic tourist arrivals and consumption have reached pre-pandemic levels in 2021, inbound tourism indicators (number of travellers and overnight stays, total expenditure) and tourism output relative to total output are still below pre-pandemic levels of 2019.

Tourism, as a significant part of the Lithuanian economy, is identified as a priority area in Lithuania’s economic transformation plan START. The National Progress Plan sets the task of improving the competitiveness of tourism in Lithuania, whereas better exploitation of tourism potential is identified as one of the tasks to be addressed in the Economic Transformation and Competitiveness Development Programme. Tourism has also been noted by the European Commission as an important economic activity with a wide-ranging impact on economic growth, the labour market and social development.

When promoting inbound tourism in Lithuania, the aim is to create the highest possible economic added value – a higher number of overnight stays, higher tourist spending and a wider range of services. Wellness tourism is one of the Lithuanian tourism products that can create the highest added value. Promoting the development of wellness infrastructure and services is included in the implementation plan of the 19th Government Programme, and wellness tourism is identified as one of the four main areas of the Lithuanian tourism brand. The average expenses of wellness tourists, the number of services consumed and the number of overnight stays most likely are higher compared to other tourism products (nature, active, educational). For example, foreign tourists staying in sanatoriums or rehabilitation centres spend the most overnight stays on average compared to other accommodation establishments.

According to the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, Lithuanian resorts are characterised by their natural factors and resources: mineral water, therapeutic mud, geothermal water, (micro)climate. The benefits of these natural factors and resources (especially mineral water and therapeutic mud) for human physical and mental health have been proven in scientific studies conducted in Lithuania. This reveals that Lithuania is a country that provides quality wellness tourism services.

Finally, the focus on wellness tourism and its infrastructure takes on added relevance when, as public spending on health care rises, there is a need to find other ways of improving public health that are more focused on disease prevention.

Despite the relevance of wellness tourism to modern society, its economic viability and contribution to the Lithuanian tourism sector and the overall national economy, there are no universally accepted definitions of wellness tourism or its infrastructure in Lithuania, and there is a lack of motivated directions for investments towards infrastructure facilities that would provide the highest economic return to Lithuania.

Goal

The aim of the project is to identify the optimal wellness tourism infrastructure for Lithuania, which would utilize the country’s natural factors and resources and attract more tourists from foreign countries and Lithuania, thus ensuring the highest economic return.

Participants

2024/25

Šarūnė Abromaitė

2024/25

Rytis Stankevičius