Incoming tour operator
in Northern Europe

Participation in the key tourism events has a high priority for our company. This November was time for IBTM in Barcelona – the leading global event for the meetings and events industry.

Our MICE team presented a variety of unique event scenarios and incentive in our 5 destinations – Riga, Vilnius, Tallinn, Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

Moreover, we were happy to share what is new in the meeting industry in our destinations:

• Riga could be a venue for your next event: the largest in the Baltic States and ultra-modern convention center ATTA has been opened there recently.  It can host large events with up to 3500 pax and offer you innovative services of a state-of-art convention center.
• Sustainability and Baltic Blues: we are going hand in hand with a concept of sustainability and invest in becoming a responsible travel company. Environmental charity projects, responsible travel behavior and operations, our staff participation in environmental protection – meet us to find out how to bring a concept of suitability to your business event with us.

While media is overwhelmed with news about the Coronavirus from many countries, you will not hear much about the Baltics. And it is precisely the case when no news is good news!

After starting the lockdown in advance Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia managed to keep the numbers low from the beginning. From the first day the governments managed to establish strict discipline and introduce safety rules that kept this part of Europe relatively safe and quiet.

Thus, by today (the 4^th of May) less than 4000 of total cases have been registered in all 3 Baltic States.

Exit from the lockdown

With only a few cases and basically no deaths life is slowly getting back to normal here.

In Lithuania most of shops, street cafes, hairdressers, libraries and museums are beginning to reopen as part of a staged exit from lockdown. The mayor of Vilnius wants the city to open up and keep it alive. Hence, the plan is to turn Vilnius Old Town into a vast open-air cafe by giving over much of its public space to bars and restaurants for free so they can put their tables outdoors and still observe physical distancing rules. Recently the most popular post in social media is about capturing photos of happy Lithuanians enjoying spring sunshine with a drink outside.

Meanwhile in the Latvian capital softer quarantine restrictions with open cafes and bars have been kept from the beginning if the owners could provide a two-metre distance between clients. In Riga people are permitted to walk around the streets, use public transport and travel to other cities, if the social distancing requirements are kept.

Estonia, the smallest of the Baltic States had slightly more cases from the beginning that imposed the Estonian government to follow the policy “the more the better” and keep tight safety regulations till the 17^th of May.

Skies start to open up

Another good news comes from the airlines. AirBaltic, the major Baltic air carrier is getting ready to fly to the major European cities as early as the 13^th of May.

As soon other European countries will be open, the travellers from Amsterdam, Brussels, Berlin, Frankfurt, Barcelona, Paris and other major European cities will be able to fly to Riga again.

Meanwhile for Lithuania the first country to open for the flight connection will be Germany.  Lufthansa expressed an interest in restarting regular flights to Vilnius and first flight to Frankfurt is scheduled already on the 10^th of May.

Preliminarily reopening of the borders between the Baltic States is scheduled in the middle of May.

It is definitely a good sign and the travel industry is looking forward for our dear customers to come back.

Are you looking for the safest destination this summer? Something that would make your clients feel comfortable and excited about their summer holiday abroad? Here are the reasons why the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are a good choice for visiting in the summer of 2020:

Away from the masses. The Baltic states are definitely not a mass-market tourism destination. Today, going to the hot spots that attract millions of tourists would not be a smart choice. It is better to look for less popular and less crowded yet still attractive destinations such as the Baltic states.

Small population. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are among the least populated countries in Europe, where even the capitals have less than a million people. This makes them an attractive destination for those willing to avoid crowds and travel outside major commercial travel routes.

Safe from COVID-19. From the start of the pandemic, the Baltic states have managed to stop the spread of coronavirus (today there are less than 4,000 cases in all three countries). They were among the first ones to start a staged exit from lockdown. Life and the travel industry are returning back to normal with the opening of restaurants and hotels and restarting of international flights and travel by land by the end of May. The first international flights to the Scandinavian capitals, Amsterdam and Frankfurt became available already from 18 May.

Vast unpopulated and green spaces. Did you know that the Baltic states are among the greenest places in the world, with forest covering roughly 40% of the land area? Just a short drive separates the charming Baltic capitals from unspoiled nature with dense forests, crystal clear lakes and seaside resorts with blue flag beaches and dunes. It is an ideal destination for those looking for a pristine nature with enough space to relax and enjoy their holidays for both guests and locals.

Good ecology. Green woods, small population and low industrial pollution makes the Baltics an eco-friendly destination with fresh air, good drinking water and excellent local products produced in an authentic way.

Easy and short flights. An average travel time of 1.5-3 hours in Europe and short time spent in the small airports with low passenger traffic make the Baltics a favourable choice for European travellers.

Good value for money. In this time when every penny counts, it is especially important to spend your money wisely, and you can do it without sacrificing the quality and comfort of your holiday. Despite the general growth of the economies (in 2018 Lithuania and Latvia were among Europe’s top 10 fastest growing economies), these countries also remain quite cheap with regard to local products, transportation, restaurants, etc. We speak not only about simple local restaurants and budget hotels. What about an outstanding gourmet experience? Or staying at brand new hotels with better services for the price of a mid-range restaurant and hotel in most Western European countries? All this, and more, is possible in the Baltic states.