Lithuania to allocate EUE 10 mln in 2024 for flights European cities

VILNIUS – Lithuania will allocate around 10 million euros in 2024 to promote flights between the country and European cities of interest to business and travelers. The list of destinations important for businesses and inbound tourism includes 27 destinations, with 23 flight from Vilnius.

Transport and Communications Minister Marius Skuodis says the priority destinations include major European hubs, like Dusseldorf and Hamburg in Germany, Madrid in Spain and others.

"Equally, we do not yet have good enough connections with countries like Spain, for example. Madrid is one of the hubs," Skuodis told reporters at Vilnius Airport on Monday.

According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the 27 priority destinations currently include New York, Brussels, Dublin, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow and others.

Skuodis says his ministry will allocate 5 million euros and the Economy and Innovation Ministry will allocate 3 million euros for flight incentive schemes next year. And the Vilnius Municipality will contribute up to 20 percent of the total amount.

On Monday, the municipality and the two ministries signed a tripartite agreement on a list of destinations of interest for businesses and inbound tourism and measures to promote flights to and from the Lithuanian capital. 

Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite says her ministry will seek to "help to fill the planes with people" and invest in raising Lithuania's profile.

"This is already being done, and Lithuania is being presented as an inbound market, Vilnius is being presented, and this is how people find out about us," Armonaite said.