'Lithuania without Russian tourists' initiative fails to get support so far

  • 2022-08-17

VILNIUS – Pakruojis Manor, a hotel, restaurant and popular tourist attraction in northern Lithuania, has called on the country's hotels and restaurants to close their doors to Russian travelers. 

However, the Lithuanian Hotel and Restaurant Association does not support the initiative, saying that it sees no need for it.

Giedrius Klimkevicius, the manager of Pakruojis Manor, says businesses have to show Russian tourists that they are not welcome in Lithuania as the war in Ukraine rages on.

"They (Russians) are stained with blood, so we want to send a message that they are not welcome in Lithuania, or at least in Pakruojis Manor," he told LRT Radio on Wednesday.

The Lithuanian Hotel and Restaurant Association does not back Klimkevicius' initiative to declare the entire accommodation and restaurant sector a zone "free of Russian tourists". 

"The association's board discussed this issue yesterday, but decided not to support such an initiative, because there is no need for it as only individual tourists from Russia now come to Lithuania," said Evalda Siskauskiene, the association's president.

"I personally support Giedrius' initiative, but it is up to each businessperson to decide whether or not to accept Russians," she added.

Pakruojis Manor has closed its doors to Russian citizens as of August 12 and has called for such restrictions to be imposed in all Lithuanian hotels, restaurants, and public and private cultural and tourist sites.