During the opening ceremony of the international tourism exhibition "Adventur 2025" in Vilnius, the "Most Successful Tourists of 2024" were announced. The ten most prominent ambassadors of travel discoveries, tourism projects, service providers, innovations, and attractions in the country were presented with awards known as the Lithuanian Tourism Oscars.
"Promoting tourism is one of our most important priorities. An innovative, high-quality and strong tourism sector not only strengthens the foundations of Lithuania's economy and culture and creates a positive image of the country, but also strengthens engaged communities and reduces the gap between regions. The consistent strengthening of this sector is a great merit of all the people and initiatives nominated as "The Most Successful in Tourism". Therefore, I sincerely thank all representatives of the tourism sector and the public, which actively fosters tourism and contributes to the development of this sector," says Agila Barzdienė, Vice Minister of Economy and Innovation.
National Tourism Promotion Agency Public Institution "Travel in Lithuania" is honoring the tourism community with awards for the most outstanding initiatives and most significant works for the 20th time.
"Over the past two decades, "The Most Successful in Tourism" has become a particularly significant part of the tourism sector. This is not only an important incentive for representatives of the tourism sector, but also an idea that unites society, inviting us to support the most successful tourism initiatives and celebrate their well-deserved success," emphasizes Olga Gončarova, head of the Public Institution "Travel Lithuania".
More than 52 thousand votes received
This time, more than 52 thousand votes were cast for the most memorable tourism projects, initiatives or service providers. 29 nominees, selected by tourism professionals, competed for awards in nine categories. For the tenth category - "Local Tourist Sympathy Weathervanes" - candidates could be proposed by residents themselves.
The most successful tourism project in Lithuania in 2024 was the Kaimelis Manor. This is the third object opened to the public by the culture and heritage custodians, the Art Deco Museum and the Amsterdam School Museum. Beautiful founders Karolis Banys and Petras Gaidamavičius. Although the Kaimelis Manor is still awaiting the hands of restorers, thousands of curious people have already taken advantage of the opportunity to visit it before the restoration and learn incredible facts about the manor's past, as well as to walk through its historical spaces.
In 2024, the title of Ambassador of Travel Discovery went to the owners of the Merkinė Factory – Vytars, Laisva, Tomas and Rasa Radzevičiai. In the beautiful pearl of Dzūkija, their initiative has successfully taken root with a variety of activities: the Merkinė Factory has become a place of not only gastronomic experiences, but also cultural discoveries.
The project "Lithuanian Song Festival 2024" was chosen as the most successful tourism project of 100 in promoting Lithuania abroad. The anniversary of the project event brought together guests from all over the world and attracted as many as 37 thousand participants.
"These awards confirm that creative initiatives and quality services are born throughout Lithuania: from big cities to the most remote regions. What is authentic, unique, and original interests both local tourists and travelers from all over the world," notes O. Gončarova.
Kaunas – the most successful tourist attraction
The most successful media project of 2024 promoting travel to or in Lithuania was the Delfi TV show "Orijus' Vacation in Lithuania". The host of the show, tireless traveler Orijus Gasanovas, constantly discovers interesting objects in the country's regions, which become a point of attraction for the show's viewers.
Kaunas can also enjoy a prestigious tourism award. This city has been recognized as the most successful tourist attraction of 2024. This is confirmed not only by the thousands of votes collected in the awards, but also by statistics. In 2024, Kaunas recorded a significant increase in the number of tourists and overnight stays. This change was also contributed to by large-scale events held in the city events: Ed Sheeran concert, European Figure Skating Championships, etc.
The award for innovation went to Raudondvaris. The audio tour “Raudondvaris Dramaturas” was recognized as the tourism innovation of 2024. The unique audio tour created by artificial intelligence leads through the history of Raudondvaris Manor and the love story of Žygimantas Augustus and Barbora Radvilaitė. The experiential journey, comparable to a live action film, consists of 14 stops in the manor halls, basement, and park, and its “guide” is the last owner of Raudondvaris Manor, Count Benediktas Jonas Tiškevičius.
One of the "Most Successful Tourist Destinations of 2024" awards went to Molėtai. The most successful accommodation provider of 2024 was chosen as the Molėtai Hotel. The hotel, which opened in Molėtai for the first time in 30 years, has already received excellent reviews from tourists, tour operators and journalists from Great Britain, Israel, Latvia and other countries.
The most successful catering service provider of 2024 was recognized as "Senators' Arcade". In the heart of Vilnius's Old Town, the space that was reborn in an exclusive nobleman's palace has become a popular place where visitors and shoppers can find a bakery, a butcher's shop, a natural wine bar, a bookstore, farm and interior shops. There are also two restaurants – “Nineteen18” and “14Horses”, both rated by the prestigious Michelin guide. Restaurant Nineteen18 received the most coveted accolade in the gastronomic world in 2024 – a Michelin star, while 14 Horses earned the Michelin Bib Gourmand label for its exceptional value for money.
Lithuanian Tours UAB has been recognized as the most successful travel agency in 2024. The company contributed to the decision of Pon.Bike, one of the leaders in the bicycle industry, to open its newest factory in Kėdainiai. This idea came to the Dutch investors after a trip to Lithuania perfectly organized by Lithuanian Tours.
Public sympathy for Biržuvėnai Manor
Traditionally, the “Local Tourist Sympathy Weathervane” was also chosen – the stop that surprised travelers the most and left the strongest impressions during this year's trip around Lithuania. In this nomination, residents themselves suggested their own candidates – interesting tourist attractions or unique experiences.
In 2024, the weather vane of local tourists' sympathy traveled to Biržuvėnai Manor. In the almost 300-year-old Biržuvėnai Manor homestead, today the Samogitian Tourism Information Center has established an Art and Education Center here with an exposition of the manor's managers, the Gorskis, new spaces for educational activities have been opened, recreation is offered to pilgrims traveling along the Camino Lithuanian, excursions, exhibitions, and musical evenings are organized. During the tastings, you can try XNUMXth-century counts' dishes, such as herring butter, bigos, or a chef's dessert.
