Novaturas CEO: solid sales at tourism fairs are a strong foundation for a successful summer season

Novaturas Group, the leader in the Baltic tourism market, shares that the tourism fairs traditionally held in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from the end of January to mid-February have been very successful this year. The company estimates that group-wide sales at the fairs are up by almost 40 per cent compared to last year and more than 20 per cent higher than in 2019.     

“On average, we sell around 3 times more trips during the fair period than during normal weeks, and this year’s tourism fairs are the best ever across the group. In fact, the start of the year is always an active one for the tourism sector, with extreme sports enthusiasts going to mountain resorts, those in need of warmth heading to exotic destinations, and others actively preparing for summer travels. On a positive note, travellers are increasingly trusting in advance travel planning and its benefits,” says Vitalij Rakovski, CEO of Novaturas. 

Summer holiday destinations such as Turkey, the Greek islands, Tunisia, Montenegro, Spain, and Bulgaria attract the largest flows of travellers, and occupancy rates at popular hotels are typically very high and continue to rise significantly. 

“In recent years, last-minute travellers have been able to choose from around 20 per cent of the total supply of the most sought-after hotels in the most popular destinations. We hear from our partners at tourism fairs that interest in summer holidays across Western Europe is extremely high, which means that this year there could be an even bigger than usual shortage of the most popular hotels and room types. Whereas during the pre-sale period there is no need to choose from what is left, as all summer destinations offer a wide range of resorts, hotels and room types. By planning your trips in advance, you can not only save money by paying less for the total package, but also have a holiday in the accommodation that best suits your needs,” the CEO of Novaturas comments. 

Mr. Rakovski adds that pre-sale discounts are still available at the moment, especially for early summer season travel, so people should hurry up with planning their coming holidays. 

Virtual fairs are also a growing trend, making it easy to buy trips from the comfort of your own home. This is not the first year that Novaturas has presented special travel offers to its customers in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia through virtual holiday fairs. The number of unique users on the company’s websites across the group has increased by 36 per cent during the fair period, and sales have risen by almost 34 per cent compared to 2019.   

About the company

Novaturas Group is the largest tour operator in the Baltic States, offering summer and winter package holidays by plane to more than 30 destinations worldwide and more than 100 tours.

Arūnas Žilys

CFO of AB Novaturas  

+370 615 88259