Palanga Mayor Sarunas Vaitkus: 'Palanga is emerging as a haven from climate-change-induced droughts affecting much of Europe'

  • 2025-01-27
  • Linas Jegelevicius

Palanga, Lithuania's gem resort on the Baltic coast, has undergone a major transformation under the leadership of current Mayor Sarunas Vaitkus, who kindly agreed to answer questions for The Baltic Times Magazine. "We are implementing approximately 60 projects this year, which is quite a lot," Vaitkus emphasized. Notably, with the new infrastructure in place, the resort’s amenities thriving, Palanga is emerging as a haven from climate-change-induced droughts affecting much of Europe. “Most of the foreigners visiting Palanga come from neighbouring countries, but, last summer, we also received visitors from distant markets like South Africa, USA, Brazil, Mexico, even Australia and New Zealand,” the Mayor of Palanga said.

How was the last summer season for Palanga?

Over the last decade, we have seen a joyful change – Palanga has gained the reputation and status of an international resort. Palanga is truly a popular Lithuanian resort.

We had many foreign visitors, and we were surprised by the number of Germans who came to Palanga in their own cars.  It was nice, but also a bit strange, to see so many cars with German licence plates on the city streets, to hear German language on the streets, in cafés, and to meet young German-speaking families with children. 

It is great to see that summer in Palanga has been going on since April – already in the spring we have been blessed with good weather, and the cultural events taking place in the resort have attracted a very large number of guests. 

The European Brass Band Championship held in May was a particular highlight, attracting huge interest not only from Lithuanians, but also from foreigners. Thanks to this championship, we attracted more than half a thousand Swiss people alone, who were visiting not only Palanga but also Lithuania for the first time. This is encouraging. 

In addition, Palanga is rapidly gaining popularity not only as a place to relax but also as a place for remote working and conferences. Our city offers a well-suited infrastructure for remote working and, after a productive day, exceptional offers for rest and leisure. This also increases the number of visitors to the resort. 

As of September 21, the so-called Pillow Tax collected during the three months of the summer amounted to nearly 1,2 million euros. Children under 18 do not pay this charge. These figures are not final, as accommodation providers will declare the data for August and pay the tax throughout September. 

By September 30, the municipality collected slightly over 1.6 million euros local parking fees on the city's streets, which is approximately 12 percent more than during the whole of last year's active resort season. This year, 1.079 million euros was collected for permits to sell and provide services in public places designated by the Municipal Council and put out to tender. 

Are the efforts of Klaipeda region municipalities to promote the region effective and always coordinated, without trying to show themselves more than their neighbours? What else are you missing here?

 I am glad that thanks to the professionalism and sincere efforts of all Palanga residents, Palanga has become a truly international resort over the last decade. There is a tendency that the number of foreign guests in the resort is increasing. Guests have discovered and appreciated not only the professional catering, accommodation, health and other services, but also the special coziness of Palanga, the wonderful nature and the pine-scented air. 

I am glad that the municipalities of Western Lithuania, gathered in the association "Klaipeda Region", are working in unity and pursuing common goals. We all understand that we are strong when we work together and not alone. 

To concentrate the joint efforts of the members of the association in the field of tourism in order to increase the number of tourists in the Klaipeda region, to shape the image of a united tourist region and to increase its competitiveness in the national and international level, coordinating the joint activities of the municipalities this is one of the goals of the association "Klaipeda Region".

The united work of the Association's members yields positive results. For several years now, Palanga Airport has been expanding the geography of flights, and the association Klaipeda Region and all seven municipalities of Western Lithuania belonging to the association have been contributing to it to a significant extent, continuing the tradition of increasing the region's accessibility, which has been in place since 2016. The decision to allocate funds for the marketing of new flights relevant to Klaipeda Region has yielded the expected results. Thanks to them, Palanga Airport now offers flights to London and, this spring, to Amsterdam, one of Europe's most important transport hubs. 

One of the most striking examples of united work is the cooperation agreement signed in early September to promote new flights from Palanga Airport and improve accessibility to the Klaipeda region. I have no doubt that the agreement, signed by the Klaipeda Region Association, the municipalities of Western Lithuania and the Ministries of Transport and Communications and the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, will open up new opportunities to attract more international flights to the Western Lithuania region, which will not only strengthen the region's international accessibility, but also help to grow tourism and business relations. This is important for the whole region, not for individual municipalities. 

The reconstruction of Sventoji Seaport is ongoing, and when completed, the port will be a major attraction, will it not?"

Indeed, it will. The second phase of work, the Fisheries Infrastructure Development Project, has been completed for a total cost of 5.9 million euros. The European Union contributed 1.7 million euros, the Lithuanian Road Administration contributed 535,000 euros, and other funds were raised from the municipal budget. The project phase started in October 2021 and was completed in 2023.

The work phase of the fishing infrastructure development has included the installation of all the infrastructure needed by fishermen, the construction of engineering networks and the landscaping of the port area. During the two years of implementation of this project, the quay in Sventoji port has been landscaped and extended, a slipway has been built to help fishermen launch their boats, and a winch has been installed for unloading catches, fishing equipment and boats. A building for storing fishermen’s boats and fishing gear has also been built and access to it has been provided. 

The Prieplaukos Street leading to Sventoji Port was also reconstructed and a parking lot was built, where fishermen will be able to keep their cars comfortably. The old car parking lot has also been renovated and part of it has been converted for the fish trade.  There have been installed disabled access ramps, an electric car charging station, a multi-purpose solar-powered public space service station and a refurbished public toilet. 

The quays, piers as well as breakwaters of the Sventoji Port are currently being designed, with an expected height of 3 metres above the water. The northern breakwater is planned to be made of boulders, while the southern breakwater could be used not only as a breakwater and yacht marina, but also as a promenade for strolling. In the first phase, the concrete walking section will be 200 metres long (up to the end of the marina), but there will be a possibility to extend it in the future up to the end of the breakwater, i.e. 660 metres. Other yachts will be able to moor at the harbor berths.