News2020.07.01 14:47

Lithuania thinks pink to attract tourists – šaltibarščiai at the centre of new campaign

LRT.lt 2020.07.01 14:47

Lithuania is seeking to lure tourists with its iconic cold beetroot soup, šaltibarščiai. In a new campaign, the country's tourism promotion agency aims to make ‘cold pink’ the colour of this summer, according to a press release.

Travelers landing at Vilnius Airport, for example, will find themselves following a trail of pink-coloured spots on the floor, culminating with an instagrammable 3-metre replica of the dish.

“This year, we’re taking our gastronomical identity to the next level,” says Indrė Trakimaitė-Šeškuvienė of Lithuania Travel, a government tourism promotion agency.

“Two weeks ago, we presented a taste map with more than 30 varieties of šaltibarščiai, last week we launched a country-wide survey on what the national menu should look like, and now this."

Read more: Lithuania publishes map of quirky takes on pink soup šaltibarščiai

Šaltibarščiai, frequently referred to as the 'pink soup' by foreign visitors, is one of the most iconic Lithuanian dishes. Having developed somewhat of a cult following, šaltibarščiai has an active Facebook fan group with daily discussions on the best ways to prepare it.

Souvenir shops across Lithuania are stocked with pink-patterned socks, t-shirts and even bathing suits. The Lithuanian Post has issued a commemorative stamp with šaltibarščiai and painted one of its 9-metre self-service terminals pink.

The installation at Vilnius Airport kicks off the campaign entitled Discover Colours You Never Knew Existed. In addition to Cold Pink, these include Vilnius Rooftop Red, Deep Forest Green, Baltic Blue, Rye Bread Black, Amber Yellow and even Kaunas Modernism Grey.

The campaign's witty video also plays at the airport.

“We believe that this colourful campaign will help attract the attention of tourists around the globe and will make them consider to visit Lithuania – one of the safest countries this summer,” Marius Zelenius, communication head of Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports), is quoted in the press release.

LRT has been certified according to the Journalism Trust Initiative Programme

Newest, Most read