Lithuania was awarded the prestigious ITB Health Tourism Award 2025

Lithuania was awarded the prestigious ITB Health Tourism Award 2025 at an awards ceremony in Berlin recognising the development of health tourism infrastructure, the quality of its services and its international visibility. This recognition is considered one of the most significant internationally.

Not just an honour, but also an economic benefit

Kristina Citvarienė, Director of the Lithuanian Resorts Association, says that this award is not only a great honour for Lithuania’s health tourism sector but also a strategic opportunity for the country.

“Lithuania’s health tourism sector is growing steadily and attracting more and more foreign tourists looking for high quality health and wellness services. “The ITB Health Tourism Award 2025 further strengthens Lithuania’s image as an attractive and innovative health tourism destination and contributes to increasing its international visibility. I am sure it will encourage further development of the sector and allow planning for higher flows of health tourists,” says K. Citvarienė.

She also stresses that international recognition is important not only for the country’s health tourism sector, but also for the local population.

“As the number of visitors increases and competition from health facilities grows, the quality of services will further improve, and it is not only tourists who use them, but also locals. In addition, Lithuania’s growing attractiveness as a place where even more foreigners are likely to come for health purposes will mean greater economic benefits for the country and more opportunities to create additional jobs for professionals working in the health sector,” says K. Citvarienė, Director of the Lithuanian Resorts Association.

According to her, Lithuania has been a European leader in health tourism for many years, competing successfully with countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Czech Republic.

“Lithuanian spas have long been renowned for their unique wellness traditions and innovative treatments. This award is a recognition of the work of the whole sector and proof that we are moving in the right direction, combining traditional values with modern technologies. Health tourism is a very promising area for Lithuania, and such achievements as this award or the ESPA Congress held in our country last autumn significantly strengthen Lithuania’s position as a high-quality health tourism destination in Europe”, – emphasises K. Citvarienė, Executive Director of the Lithuanian Spa Association.

More visitors and longer stays

For his part, Artūras Salda, head of the National Association of Sanatoriums and Rehabilitation Institutions, says that the recognition is not only the result of persistent work, but also the successful use of the country’s natural resources.

“Lithuania’s health tourism tradition dates back more than 200 years, which is why our 4 main spas and 5 health resorts are well-developed. Moreover, all of them are characterised by one or other natural healing factors: mineral water, therapeutic mud, unique micro-climate, the influence and benefits of which have been confirmed by scientists for the human body. It is great that we are able to use all of this for the benefit of the Lithuanian people and visiting guests,” said A. Salda.

According to him, the wide choice of rehabilitation, spa and recreation services, the increasing accessibility to major European cities and the attractive price-quality ratio have also led to the country’s international visibility and increasing appreciation.

The growing recognition of the health tourism infrastructure developed in Lithuanian spas and health resorts is also reflected in improving figures. Statistics from the National Sanatoriums and Rehabilitation Institutions reveal that 290 000 clients will visit Lithuanian sanatoriums and rehabilitation centres in 2024. This is 16% more than the year before. The number of nights spent has also increased. It jumped by 21% to almost 1.5 million overnight stays per year.

The most notable overnight stays are from Germany and Israel. On average, they spent more than 11 nights in Lithuanian health establishments last year. According to A. Saldos, Head of the National Association of Sanatoriums and Rehabilitation Institutions, this means that foreign clients are coming for longer stays and for preventive purposes.

Lithuanians are also paying more and more attention to wellness. Statistics show that those who pay for their own accommodation, rather than being sent through the State Patients’ Fund, also tend to spend more time in health facilities. Their average number of bed days has reached 2.5 days.

Lithuania is more visible than ever before

In recent years, Lithuania has received more international recognition. At the 2024 European Spa Association (ESPA) Congress, the country’s sanatoriums and spa centres received 7 awards.

Last year, Lithuania was also recognised by Lonely Planet. The publication named our country the second best travel destination in the world and the best in Europe for 2025.

Lithuania’s wellness sector was also in the international media spotlight last year. In particular, Forbes columnist Stephan Rabimov wrote about our country’s achievements in this field in his article “How Lithuania Is Redrawing The Wellness Travel Map”.

The country’s capital has also received exceptional recognition. Vilnius was named “European Christmas Capital 2025” and voted “European Green Capital 2025”.

ITB Berlin, the world’s largest and most influential tourism trade fair, awarded Lithuania for its outstanding achievements in the fields of medicine and wellness, sustainable development and successful international cooperation. The official presentation of the award took place on 5 March in Berlin at the prestigious ITB Medical & Health Night event.