Development of the Innovative health tourism destination in Birštonas city
About this good practice
In 2012 Birštonas city municipality has set a strategic goal to develop city as an international innovative leisure and medical spa resort by 2030. To achieve that it was planned to:
1. to promote the resort nationally and internationally;
2. to develop medical tourism services;
3. to increase the variety of the tourism services.
Municipality has invested in infrastructure development: parks, bike roads, walking paths as well as creation of public medical spa services such as halotherapy and climate therapy spaces in parks. The Druskupis Graduation Tower has garnered attention for its unique architecture and the ‘sea’ climate that it creates.
Sustainable mobility programme was implemented in order to improve transportation and accessibility services in the city with the focus on green transportation - electronic moto, cars and trotters are available as well as bike rental services.
Existing medical resorts were renovated and the development of new high-class resorts were supported in order to improve the accommodation offer as well as to offer new high quality medical spa services.
Municipality invested in increasing the variety of supplementary services with the special focus on the families, youth and children: construction of new playgrounds, babysitting services for tourists, educational programmes for families, development of different attractions (cycling, roller blading, canoeing and wakeboarding).
Resources needed
Private investment - app. 60 mln euros opening 7 new objects.
Investment from public funds – app. 23 mln euros, implementing 26 projects. 5 300 euros investment per inhabitant of the municipality.
Evidence of success
1. Birštonas experienced the highest growth of the tourist among Lithuanian resorts in 2017 (55% growth);
2. Life quality index in the municipality increased by 55% during the period from 2007 to 2019 and is higher than the average in Lithuania;
3. Seven new resorts opened during the last five years, which attracted investment of 60 mln euros.
4. Highest grow of the Material investment per person in Lithuania;
5. Well-developed infrastructure;
6. High level of services.
Potential for learning or transfer
Clear strategy and vision of the municipality was at the core of the successful development of the innovative health tourism destination. Long term plans were developed and carefully followed in order to reach the goal. For the implementation, city municipality worked closely with the community and involved the broad range of the stakeholders, which provided their own expertise and knowledge. Close cooperation between the public and private sectors were essential to the city development, as they ensured complementary and guaranteed a successful development at different stages: public investments were essential for the initial stage and gave impetus for attracting private investors to the city, while private investors ensured the further development and creation of new services, which made the city attractive for a wider audience of clients.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Birštonas city municipality