According to Linas Nosevič, getting to know the country through tasting will help travelers discover its regions.
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“This is a presentation that you can not only eat deliciously in Vilnius, but also visit the Hill of Crosses and other cities and sites while traveling. From that side, the map is more, I would say, oriented towards Lithuanians, local tourists, or neighbors, while foreigners probably first choose the country, and then once they arrive, they look for where they can experience a gastro experience,” L. Nosevič told BNS.
According to her, such maps work as a promotional trick because it is convenient for people to find everything in one place.
“There have been health maps and gastro maps created. They work and are not created in vain, so that a person can see what they can visit. It is easier for them because they see everything in one place. So, I would say, it is one of the tools that definitely finds its client,” said L. Nosevič.
“A person who has eaten deliciously and with quality is always in a good mood and, of course, there is an opportunity for a local tourist to travel, for example, to Anykščiai, Birštonas, Druskininkai, or to some other region (…). We should be very happy and support such ideas,” she added.
According to the head of the Chamber of Tourism, recently, getting to know local culture through food and drinks is becoming more popular: “Cities and regions have something to show not only to foreigners but also to local tourists, so as life improves, people spend money on delicious food.”
According to her, a phenomenal proof of this is the cold beet soup festival “Vilnius Pink Soup Fest,” which attracted almost 180,000 participants this year.
“The wave and recognition of gastronomic tourism also came with Michelin (…), so it is the right time with the right actions. This did not appear overnight. We have raised a generation of young chefs, who after many years abroad are now working in Lithuania,” she explained.
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The Ministry of Economy and Innovation announced that the Lithuanian gastronomy map was presented as part of the EKK initiative “Tourism for Europe,” which aims to show that tourism creates value not only for the economy but also for local communities, cultural heritage, and nature.
During the campaign, real stories from various European regions are shared, and the basis of the project is the “Tastiest Cities” map, which allows discovering Lithuanian cities and communities through their gastronomic heritage and encourages visiting lesser-known places in the country.
“The campaign calls for focusing on three essential areas – nature, people, and economy, emphasizing that the success of tourism must create value for everyone. The gastronomic theme chosen by Lithuania covers all areas, and we very much hope it will significantly contribute to promoting our country,” said EKK Vice President Lidija Bajarūnienė in a statement.
On the “Tastiest Cities” map, Alytus is invited to visit for potato dumplings, Biržai for spicy beer soup, Kretinga for chocolate with cracklings, Molėtai for Radvila stew, Šakiai for oven-baked cabbage head, Telšiai for cibulinė, Kalvarija for kugelis.
As BNS wrote, Lithuania aims to attract world-class gastronomy events over the next ten years and establish the Baltic Gastronomy and Innovation Center – for which the Lithuanian gastronomy strategy is being prepared for the first time.
The president of the international culinary competition “Bocuse d’Or” organization in Lithuania, Darius Katinas, has said that the ambitious goal is for Lithuania to become a gastronomy Mecca within ten years.
