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Four clusters that unite more than 70 Lithuanian enterprises and organisations will represent the country for the first time at a joint stand at the international exhibition Balttour 2015 to be held on February 6 – 8 in Riga. What are the distinctions of each of the clusters and what specific features of their regions will they present to the world?

It is the first event of this kind when as many as four tourism clusters, facilitated by Enterprise Lithuania (the agency under Ministry of Economy), will present themselves to the Latvian public and tourism and travel agencies as well as to companies and organisations of other countries. Biržai and Anykščiai Tourism Clusters as well as the newly established Žemaitija and Pamarys Tourism Clusters, which were formed just last year, will advertise their activities and services at the stand under the slogan “Made in Lithuania”. The purpose of the clusters is to unite the businessmen and tourism industry enterprises and organisations of the region so that their joint activities would attract as many local and international tourists as possible.

We invite you to visit Lithuania’s tourism clusters stand No. H35 on 6-8 February at the International Travel Trade Fair “Balttour 2015” in Riga. 

“Biržai is the place where the river of beer runs”
Biržai Tourism Cluster is the first tourism cluster in Lithuania and unites 18 tourism business entities and enterprises. The country’s northernmost town, which has a unique landscape rich in sinkholes, is famous for its breweries, Biržai Castle, and the artificial Širvėna Lake. Biržai Tourism Cluster begins the year 2015 with new cluster members and a new advertising slogan: “Biržai is the place where the river of beer runs”. The Cluster has also updated its services presentation and publicity. Tourists can choose, according to their needs, possibilities, and price, a package of services out of 6 activities (categories) which are vividly described as follows: “The hungry will eat, the tired will rest”, “The Brewers’ Capital”, “Biržai Castle – history enveloped in legends”, “Outward entertainment and activities”, “Unique nature – the land of sinking earth”, and “KITAIP seminars and conferences”. This year, the town offers its guests new services: sightseeing and cognitive flights with small aircraft allowing to enjoy the excellent views of the town of Biržai and its surroundings, visits to the museum of old machinery and tractors, the windmill that has been in operation since 1924, a deer farm, and spending a good time in the tasting hall furnished in an authentic basement.

Anykščiai offers a tour of the famous forest along a path laid over tops of trees
Anykščiai is a town situated at both sides of the valley of the Šventoji River and can boast of many tourist attractions. The vision of the town of Anykščiai is to be a cultural resort of cultural tourism. Anykščiai Tourism Cluster, which was established in 2013 and unites 18 organisations, began its activities seeking the following mutually agreed objectives: to double the number of visitors by 2016 compared to the reference number of 2012, to form attractive leisure entertainment packages, and to develop camp and conference arrangement services. “For visitors of the exhibition Balttour 2015, we will introduce recreational leisure and educational programmes in museums, conference and family tourism and enjoyable trips by the narrow-gauge railway”, said Ms Sonata Veršelienė, the head of Anykščiai Tourism Cluster. We will also familiarize them with a novelty - the service “Lajų Pedestrian Path”. It is a sightseeing tour around Anykščiai Forest by a path laid at a height of tops of trees that starts at Puntukas Stone”.

Žemaitija Tourism Cluster will introduce an events calendar
Žemaitija Tourism Cluster emerged at the beginning of 2014 and now unites 14 tourism business entities and enterprises. Žemaitija Cluster is a network of modern enterprises and organisations that pools and offers virtually all tourism services available in Plungė (Gandinga) and Plateliai region: water activities and sports at rivers and lakes, cycling and hiking tours, entertainment centres, accommodation in modernly equipped tourist farmsteads, high-quality catering, route planning and organisation, tours of famous cultural and historical objects: the mansion of Duke Ogiński and the Museum of Cold War that has been established at a missile base abandoned by the soviet military. “Combining our forces allows us to organise your cognitive tour in the form most acceptable to you: kayaking, canoeing, yachting, boating, cycling, fishing, diving, and just sightseeing of the impressive landscape and creatures of the nature and human. For a night stop, you will be welcomed and served hearty meals – at a tourism farmstead you are sure to be offered to taste the traditional kastinys of žemaitija (special sour cream product) which no other nation in the world can churn.”

The Road of Fish – a boat tour lasting 4 hours to several days
“The Road of Fish” service package is the most important of the projects and has become the centreline of Pamarys Tourism Cluster offering tourists two options: recreational and educational large sailboat tour programme lasting more than four hours or small cruise – exclusive, culinary water touring route in four water bodies. During the latter tour, one can admire the nature, visit tourist attractions, taste fish dishes, and catch fish while sailing the Curonian Lagoon and the Minija and Nemunas rivers.
Those tourists who chose either of the service package options will be encourage to familiarise themselves with the culinary heritage, boar building, and history of Pamarys Region, to learn how to control power kite boards, and to relax in countryside farmsteads. The guests will be able to choose between routes of different length and duration: “The Road of Fish” can last 4 hours to several days – everything will depend on their desires and possibilities.
According to Ms Daiva Buivydienė, the generator of the idea of the Cluster and Director of Klaipėda Region Tourism Information Centre, Pamarys Tourism Cluster will introduce itself to the visitors of Balttour 2015 exhibition in a modest and aesthetic manner – the visitors will be offered the traditional kafija (chicory drink) and a cake. In the meanwhile, it will not be difficult to offer attractive tourism services because the unique nature of Pamarys Region in itself is a tourist attraction.
“We see potential not only in the local market, but also in the neighbouring countries – Latvia, Poland as well as Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia. In future we also hope to capture the interest of Germans”, Buivydienė shared their plans.
Pamarys Tourism Cluster, which began its activities only last year, unites 19 members – tourism business entities, cultural establishments, museums, two tourism information centres, a folk music band, etc.