Baltics planning to revive 'travel bubble' - Lithuanian ministry

VILNIUS – The three Baltic countries are planning to revive the so-called "travel bubble" that was in place in the region last year, the Lithuanian Economy and Innovation Ministry said on Friday.

The press release came after Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite's meeting in Brussels with Edmunds Valantis, state secretary at Latvia's Economics Ministry, and Estonian Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Andres Sutt.

"Unfortunately, the bubble was abandoned last September as infection rates increased again, but now we must look for ways to facilitate travel for people and recovery for businesses," Armonaite said.

Almost 62,000 tourists from Latvia and Estonia visited Lithuania in the third quarter of 2020 when the "travel bubble" was in place, according to Lithuania Travel, the government's tourism promotion agency.

After the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic subsided in May 2020, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia agreed on the Baltic "travel bubble", allowing free movement of citizens and residents between the three countries.

The travel regime was scrapped, however, when infections returned to an upward trajectory in early autumn.