Finnish tourists spend most money per day in Vilnius

A survey of visitors in Vilnius in 2012 commissioned by Vilnius' city municipality has revealed just how much visitors from different countries spend in Vilnius, reports LETA/ELTA, referring to the city's municipality.

The biggest spenders at LTL 635 (EUR 184) a day, are the Finnish, followed by Russians at LTL 497 (EUR 144) a day. Visitors from Russia and Belarus spend more of their money on tangible goods.

The average money spent by a tourist in one day was found to be LTL 275 (EUR 80), while total expenses over the duration of their stay averaged out to LTL 1,120 (EUR 325).

According to the survey, business-oriented visitors in Vilnius spent, on average, LTL 643 (EUR 186) a day. In 2012, tourists spent 35.3 percent of their expenses on housing accommodations, 22.8 percent on food, 22.7 percent on goods, 8.1 percent on transportation, and 6.8 percent on cultural and leisure activities, Vilnius Municipality's press office said today.

The survey reveals that most visitors from Lithuania's closest neighbors (Russia, Poland, Belarus, the Baltic States) have been to Vilnius before. Regardless, they tend to stay in Vilnius for a few days, and Vilnius remains a primary or at least important goal.

Vilnius as a whole was rated positively by visitors, with almost all criteria averaging at 4 or more out of 5. The city received its highest marks for residents' friendliness and hospitality, and for its taxi services (excluding those to the airport). Medium marks were given to the city's public toilets and to the public transportation information system. Polish visitors tended to rate Vilnius the highest, while French visitors rated it the lowest.

A total 81 percent of visitors indicated that it was either likely or very likely that they will return to Vilnius within the next 5 years. Almost all survey respondents said that they will recommend visiting Vilnius to others.