(TAN): Global home-sharing platform Airbnb has signed a partnership with Lithuania Travel to promote healthy and sustainable tourism in the Baltics, reports said.
As per reports, it is the first partnership between a destination marketing organisation and a travel booking platform in the region. Lithuania Travel is the European country’s official tourism organisation.
The partnership, according to reports, is aimed at improving the tourist offering, diverting visitor flows from key tourist centres, supporting the local economy by bolstering tourist numbers, and connecting travellers with locals by creating an Experiences marketplace.
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To achieve this goal, Lithuania Travel and Airbnb will create 20 unique Airbnb Experiences led by locals, which is also expected to push tourism outside the tourist centres, and strengthen both visitor growth and the local economy, reports said.
Kathrin Anselm, General Manager DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) and Russia Airbnb, reportedly said the Baltic region will offer exclusive experiences that tourists are increasingly looking for during their visit.
“Besides finding a place to stay, more and more travellers are also seeking unique and authentic experiences during their trip. We very much look forward to working towards sustainable tourism in the Baltics together with Lithuania Travel and welcome the support from other destination marketing organisations in the region. The Baltic states offer a great variety to travellers from all over the world and we are excited that visitors will be able to get to know the local culture through Experiences,” Anselm was quoted by The Baltic Times as saying.
While Airbnb will expand into the Baltic region through the curation of the Experiences, it will roll out its Experiences offer to Estonia and Latvia by the end of 2020, as per reports.
“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,” General Manager of Lithuania Travel, Dalius Morkvėnas, was quoted by Short Term Rentalz as saying.
Airbnb Experiences, which were launched globally in 2016, comprise activities, tours and educational workshops designed and led by locals, reports said. Airbnb reportedly offers over 4,000 Experiences in more than 1,000 cities across the globe.
