Tourism Statistics in Lithuania for 2008
2008 was a reasonably successful year for Lithuania’s tourism industry. According to preliminary figures from the Statistics Department of Lithuania, hotels and rural tourism homesteads in Lithuania accommodated 2.7 percent more people than in 2007. A total of 1.8 million people stayed in hotels in Lithuanian cities, about 50 percent of them foreigners. The number of holidaymakers increased particularly in Birštonas and Neringa.
Vilnius
Date: 30/09/2026
In the capital’s hotels, 604,000 guests stayed overnight, 5.6 percent more than the previous year. Among the countries whose citizens stayed in Lithuania, Poland ranked first, with 135,200 people (compared with 112,200 in 2007), followed by Germany, with 114,100 (compared with 111,600); Russia, with 73,600 (compared with 56,600); Latvia, with 74,100 (compared with 59,700); Finland, with 39,300 (compared with 35,100); and the United Kingdom, with 39,000 (compared with 36,900).
As for hotel room availability, the average occupancy rate was 44.8 percent, compared with 46.2 percent in 2007.
The Statistics Department of Lithuania also reports figures on the use of rural tourism services in Lithuania. According to this data, 8,000 Germans, 6,500 Poles, 4,400 Latvians, 2,500 Russians, 1,600 Estonians, and 1,200 Belarusians stayed at Lithuanian guesthouses and rural homesteads. In terms of length of stay, the figures were as follows: Germans, 14,000 nights; Poles, 11,200 nights; Latvians, 6,900 nights; Russians, 5,000 nights; and Belarusians, 2,400 nights. Compared with the previous year, many more German and Russian citizens began staying in rural areas.
The most popular districts were Klaipėda, Telšiai, and Tauragė. In 2007, there were 10,230 rural tourism homesteads in Lithuania. Most of them were located in the districts of Ignalina, Zarasai, and Trakai.
In the World Economic Forum’s TTCI (Tourism Competitiveness Index), Lithuania ranked 49th, down from 47th in 2007, just behind Latvia (48th). Estonia ranked 28th, Russia 59th, and Ukraine 77th. This index was based on various indicators, including infrastructure, the country’s political stability, tourist safety, and others.
In 2009, analysts forecast a worldwide decline in tourism because of the global financial crisis. This also affects the Baltic States, whose economies have suffered considerably. At the same time, however, the cost of tourism services will fall, making it possible to save money while on holiday.
