Lonely Planet awards Lithuania as 2nd-best travel destination for 2025

VILNIUS - Lonely Planet, one of the world's largest travel guide publishers, has named Lithuania the second-best tourist destination for 2025 and presented the country with an award marking the recognition, Lithuania Travel said on Wednesday.

Lonely Planet Vice President Tom Hall handed the award to Olga Goncarova, the tourism promotion agency's head, at this week's World Travel Market London (WTM), a major tourism and travel fair.

"I have no doubt that the Lonely Planet award will spark even more interest in Lithuania among the participants at the fair," Goncarova said in a press release.

In October, Lonely Planet ranked Lithuania as the second-best among the top ten must-visit global destinations for 2025.

Experts singled out four main attractions in Lithuania.

"These include Vilnius, a green, vibrant, and modern city with its unique history and cutting-edge bar and restaurant scene. Also, the Curonian Spit National Park, which is spectacular in all seasons, the Hill of Crosses, which draws pilgrims from around the world, and the pristine nature of Aukstaitija National Park," the press release said.

Lithuania was ranked just behind Cameroon. Lonely Planet's top recommendations for 2025 also include Fiji, Laos, Kazakhstan, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Vanuatu, Slovakia, and Armenia.

Lonely Planet's ranking considers not only tourism infrastructure and service quality but also factors such as safety, value for money, uniqueness, authenticity, sustainability, and responsibility.

According to Lithuania Travel, the ranking often reflects emerging tourism trends, including regions or countries that have recently gained popularity or offer completely new tourism experiences, as well as special events such as international sports competitions, anniversaries, and cultural festivals that can draw attention from travelers.