Lithuania rolls out the “pink carpet” for tourists

Vilnius airport has a reputation for using unconventional ways to attract tourists. In the past, it had a Christmas tree made solely from confiscated items, (the majority being scissors), on display. During the lockdown, it was even used as a drive-in cinema. With travel restrictions being eased, Lithuania is looking for new ways to attract tourists. 

“Discover colours you never knew existed” is the latest campaign. It advertises unique colours that you can find whilst in Lithuania such as: Cold Pink, Vilnius Rooftop Red, Baltic Blue, Amber Yellow and many more. I think this is a good way of advertising some of the famous landmarks of the country as it combines colours that we all know with something unique that you can experience by visiting.

The Cold Pink colour is based on šaltibarščiai, which is one of the most iconic national dishes. It is a soup and it literally translates to cold beetroot. It is bright pink in colour, therefore the marketing team has come up with the Cold Pink colour to symbolise it. It is one of my favourite dishes and is often loved by tourists that try it. Due to its popularity, there are even šaltibaršciai themed souvenirs such as socks and t-shirts. 

This is quite a unique campaign that will not be found at any other airport. 

As soon as passengers enter Vilnius airport, they will see the Cold Pink colour laying out a “carpet”. There are pink markings on the floors, which state the slogan of the campaign. Also, there is a 10-foot image of a bowl of šaltibarščiai which was designed to be perfect for selfie opportunities for arriving tourists. This is quite a unique campaign that will not be found at any other airport. 

Due to the low infection rates of COVID-19 in Lithuania, this campaign aims to kickstart tourism for the summer ahead. 70 international routes will come into Lithuanian airports from July meaning that tourists from many countries are invited to disocver the country and the colours of the campaign. 

This is a great example of how a relatively small country is trying to stand out on an international level. Of course, pink stickers will not be the reason someone chooses to visit Lithuania. However, this is just one of the ways that passengers can be introduced to the campaign upon arrival. It is likely to encourage them to check out the other colours or at least try the famous pink soup.