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ITB Berlin News 2018 - Preview Edition

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32 REGION EUROPE BALTICS

32 REGION EUROPE BALTICS CENTENARY Indrė Trakimaitė- Šeškuvienė Director of the State Department, Tourism in Lithuania East Meets West in Lithuania Indrė Trakimaitė-Šeškuvienė, Director of the State Department of Tourism in Lithuania, said the tourism marketing is rapidly evolving. In 2018, the country is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its restoration. Tallinn Heralded As Best Value Destination Every year more than ten new hotels open their doors including such famous brands as Marriott or Hilton, every year the increasing number of cruise liners stop in Klaipėda seaport and for the first time our restaurants were included into authoritative restaurant guide White Guide. I guess the main reason for such growth is that we are really attractive and interesting to tourists and able to offer wide range of entertainment and leisure activities. How is Lithuania marking its Centenary? The biggest celebration took place on February 16, the day our independence was restored back in 1918. One more spectacular event will be held in 2018, a traditional Song and Dance festival dedicated to the Centennial. The event will take place from June 30 to July 6. If you have not visited Lithuania yet, 2018 is the best time to do so. Tell us a little about Lithuania’s historic heritage UNESCO heritage includes seven sites from Lithuania. The historic centre of Vilnius, is one of the easternmost cities in Central Europe, marked by a strong interaction between Eastern and Western cultures. paradise with over 3,000 lakes, vast expanses of forests covering one third of the country, and dozens of well-preserved national and regional parks. The country has about 30 observation towers and about 100 nature study trails in picturesque locations, for example: a Juniper Trail along the lagoon, or a tree top trail. Covering an area of 65,000 km², Lithuania stands out with its population density, which is half of that of other European countries with this area; this gives abundant opportunities for a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city Hall 18 / Stand 131 For the first 11 months of 2017, the amount of foreign tourists to Estonia increased 5% compared to the same period of 2016. The majority of visitors came from neighbouring countries including Finland, Latvia and Russia, but the biggest increase has been from long-haul markets, mainly China and Japan. We asked Tarmo Musto, Director for Tourism Development at Enterprise Estonia, what the country will be showing at ITB Berlin in its Centenary year. In ITB Berlin there will be a great mix of different Estonian regions, companies who offer transport and accommodation, also incomingservices. In celebration of the centenary, Estonia is sharing its uniquely beautiful language with the world. Play the game at the Visit Estonia stand at the ITB and try to pronounce Estonian words like küsimusi (question) and jäääär (edge of the ice) and enter draw to win a free trip for two to Estonia. How is the tourism infrastructure evolving over time? We have good holiday opportunities for all tastes: within some hundred metres in Tallinn Old Town you can stay in a hotel where the English Queen stayed during her visit to Tallinn – or in a backpacker’s hostel. You can choose a luxurious manor spa in countryside – or stay overnight free of charge in a cosy romantic hut, provided by State Forest Management Centre. Tallinn, meanwhile, has been named the number one best value destination in the world to visit in 2018 in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel. prevails to border on the land, also sea tourism is a key motivation to travel here. What does the future hold for Estonia’s tourism industry? Recently, €15 million was recently given by the Estonian Tourist Board to develop new family attractions. The requirements were to motivate repetitive visits and to have the ability to be the main motivation of the trip in neighbouring markets Tarmo Musto Director for Tourism Development at Enterprise Estonia What are among Lithuania’s tourist highlights? Tourists can enjoy Lithuania’s ‘pristine’ nature, a natural What are the key highlights for tourists in Estonia? We have more than 2,000 picturesque islands and sea border Hall 18 / Stand 127 ITB BERLIN NEWS • Thursday 1 st March 2018 www.itb-berlin-news.com

OCEANIA REGION 33 © Khufu Osiris Monuriki Island, Fiji Oceania Trends and Figures 7% Growth in 2017 and healthy prospects for the future OCEANIA MAIN TRAVEL DESTINATIONS AUSTRALIA Hall 5.2 A / 119 COOK ISLANDS Hall 5.2 A / 104 According to the UNWTO, Oceania saw 7% growth in international tourist arrivals in 2017. Australia recorded 6.5% growth, New Zealand was up 5% and Fiji had a growth rate of 6.4%. LEISURE TOURISM DRIVES AUSTRALIAN MARKET There were 8.8 million visitor arrivals for year ending December 2017, an increase of 6.5% relative to the previous year. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, leisure arrivals (Holiday + VFR) continued to drive international arrivals growth, with an increase of 7% over the 12-month period. In the 12 months to June 2017, double digit growth in holiday arrivals was seen from Indonesia (up 34.8%), India (up 20.6%), Malaysia (up 20.3%), Canada (up 18.6%), USA (up 18.2%), South Korea (up 17%) and Japan (up 16%). International expenditure grew at a slower rate than arrivals, up 6.5% for the 12 months ending June 2017. China continues to be the highest spending market with total spend reaching .8 billion (up 9.8%) over the year. India was the fastest growing market for expenditure with total spend up 29.5%. Other key markets that showed good growth included Hong Kong (up 9.7%), Malaysia (up 11.2%) and Japan (up 14.7%) over the same period. NEW ZEALAND: INTERNATIONAL VISITORS CONTRIBUTE MORE THAN NZ.5BN IN 2017 International tourism provided greater economic benefit to New Zealand in 2017 than ever before. Total spend was up 5% to .56bn according to the latest International Visitor Survey (IVS) figures released by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). Australian arrivals, New Zealand’s largest visitor market, topped the total spend for 2017 contributing .57 billion (+3%) to the New Zealand economy. This was followed by our largest Asian visitor market, China, with .46 billion. FIJI: MONTHLY VISITORS TOP 90,000 FOR THE FIRST TIME Fiji’s annual visitor arrival number reached a new high of 842,884 in 2017. This was 6.4% more than the previous record of 792,320 which was set in 2016. Contributing to the record level of visitor arrivals in 2017 were increases from the following countries; New Zealand (20,759 to 184,595), the United States of America (11,570 to 81,198), Australia (5,319 to 365,389), Rest of Asia (4,393 to 24,951), Pacific Islands (3,979 to 53,720), Continental Europe (2,722 to 34,368), South Korea (800 to 8,871), Canada (641 to 12,421), Other Countries (379 to 4,730), United Kingdom (213 to 16,925) and Japan (76 to 6,350) FIJI ISLANDS Hall 5.2 A / 103 NEW ZEALAND Hall 5.2 A / 120 NEW CALEDONIA Hall 5.2 A / 104 PAPUA NEW GUINEA Hall 5.2 A / 106 SAMOA Hall 5.2 A / 104 SOLOMON ISLANDS Hall 5.2 A / 104 TAHITI Hall 5.2 A / 105 TONGA Hall 5.2 A / 104 VANUATU Hall 5.2 A / 104 ITB BERLIN NEWS • Thursday 1 st March 2018

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