Lithuania will step up cooperation with the World Tourism Organisation
The Minister of the Economy and Innovation (EIMIN) Lukas Savickas signed an agreement with Zurab Pololikashvili, the Head of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (WTO), on the implementation of a more active action plan to increase inbound tourism to Lithuania. This will strengthen Lithuania’s cooperation with the WTO in the areas of tourism marketing, education, innovation, digital transformation and destination management.
“Strengthening the country’s tourism is one of our top priorities. We have particularly high potential in areas such as conference and health tourism, and other types of tourism in our country are becoming increasingly popular. Thus, by signing an agreement with the WTO, we hope to attract more investment and foreign tourists to Lithuania, while making effective use of our country’s key tourism strengths,” said L. Savickas, the Minister of the Economy and Innovation.
The agreement is intended to promote inbound tourism and more effective marketing of destinations in the regions. It will also lead to more joint tourism education projects with the WTO, which will open up opportunities for tourism professionals to improve their skills and introduce innovations. Tourism start-ups will also be further promoted and digital transformation and knowledge exchange will accelerate. Closer cooperation with the WTO will also lead to smarter management of destinations and contribute to greater stability.
“This Action Plan reflects our shared commitment to advancing innovation, education, and investment in tourism. Together with Lithuania, we are shaping a smarter, more resilient, and sustainable future for the sector through the power of data and artificial intelligence,” said Z. Pololikashvili, the Secretary General of the WTO.
With the implementation of the action plan, Lithuania will strengthen its position to attract tourists to our country.
The WTO Distance Academy will provide an opportunity for our country’s professionals to participate in marketing courses where they can learn about branding, market positioning etc.
Lithuanian students and young professionals will also have the opportunity to participate in an international internship programme at the headquarters of the WTO. Individual training courses will be tailored to Lithuania’s national tourism priorities, ensuring that professionals receive targeted, market-relevant training.
To promote international cooperation in the fields of tourism technology and sustainability, seminars will be organised on innovation and technology management, such as the use of artificial intelligence in the field of tourism, strengthening sustainable tourism through innovation, or digital transformation strategies for small and medium-sized enterprises.
A start-up challenge, which will contribute to strengthening Lithuania’s status as a leader in the field of tourism innovation, will also be implemented. This initiative will encourage global start-ups specialising in digital marketing, data-driven strategies and AI-enhanced branding to develop tailor-made solutions for the Lithuanian tourism industry.
It is also planned to organise a WTO tourism event in Lithuania to strengthen the country’s role in regional tourism. The event would focus on engaging opinion leaders, promoting tourism in Lithuania and implementing digital strategies.
The agreement with the WTO was signed on 2 April during the Future Tourism and Hospitality Forum. The event features presentations and discussions on a wide range of topics related to the future of tourism, from sectoral trends and the regulatory environment and the outlook for different tourism destinations, to connectivity, sustainability, tourism marketing and artificial intelligence.