"In fact, the number of tourists in the European Union should rise by a mere 2 to 4 percent this year, but that does not hold true for Lithuania. It is believed that it is this year that the rate of growth in tourist numbers (in Lithuania) may hit record-high 15 percent. This means that around 2 million foreign tourists may come," says Raimonda Balnienė, director of the State Tourism Department.
Balnienė attributes the record-high growth rate to increased tourist numbers from Russia and Belarus.
Recent years have also seen a rise in the number of tourists from Germany, Britain, and the Benelux, as well as from Sweden, Norway, and Finland, she notes.
