image
1

Lithuanian countryside

Airbnb and Lithuania Travel to promote sustainable tourism in the Baltics

Airbnb and Lithuania Travel to promote sustainable tourism in the Baltics

It is the first partnership between a destination marketing organization and a travel platform in the region

The first partnership in the Baltics between a destination marketing organization and a travel booking platform is now a fact. Just days ago, Airbnb and Lithuania Travel, the country’s official tourism organization, announced a collaboration to promote healthy and sustainable tourism in the region.

The aim of the partnership is to enrich the tourist offer, deflect tourist flows from the major tourist centres and support the local economy by boosting visitor growth. The partners will try to achieve this goal by creating more than twenty unique Airbnb Experiences led by locals.

Airbnb Experiences were launched globally in 2016 in response to the desires of non-conformist travelers who would like to delve under the glossy touristy surface and see a destination through local eyes. The programme offer visitors handmade activities, tours and educational workshops led by local experts. Now, travelers can choose from over 40,000 unique Experiences, many available only on Airbnb, in more than 1,000 cities all over the world.

The Experiences are expected to involve the entire Baltic region, as Estonia and Latvia would hardly want to be left behind, experts say.  

Dalius Morkvėnas, General Manager of Lithuania Travel said on the occasion, quoted by Delfi.lt portal: “Our Experiences partnership with Airbnb will greatly help us boost the demand for travel to Lithuania and the other Baltic states and increase the range of offerings for visitors. We highly support such collaborations that help local tourism businesses receive additional visibility on a global level.”

Airbnb in tax collection agreement with Vilnius

Airbnb, which has been under attack by regulation-hungry governments and hoteliers who see their business in jeopardy, concluded last month the first tax agreement in Central and Eastern Europe with the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. As of February 1, the booking platform is automatically collecting tourism levies due per night and per person and is transferring the money directly to the City of Vilnius on behalf of hosts and guests.

Airbnb has promised to collaborate with national governments and organizations around the world on the automated collection of tourism taxes. To this end, the platform has signed over 400 agreements and has collected more than $2 billion in tourist-related taxes.

Newsletter

Back

Growing City

All

Smart City

All

Green City

All

Social City

All

New European Bauhaus

All

Interviews

All

ECP 2021 Winner TheMayorEU

Latest