A fresh and yummy surprise awaits arrivals at Vilnius International Airport. As of 29 June, travelers have been tricked into following a trail of pink-coloured spots on the floor which lead to what looks like a giant plate with pink soup inside. And it is, indeed. The 3-metre round replica pays homage to the national šaltibarščiai soup, a must-try for all tourists visiting Lithuania.
The airport installation is in fact the kick-starter of “Discover colours you never knew existed” campaign that invites guests to explore Lithuania through vivid and distinctive colours. In addition to Cold Pink, as Lithuanians define the colour of their national dish, the campaign urges discovering unfamiliar hues that distinguish local architectire and cuisine such as Vilnius Rooftop Red, Kaunas Modernism Grey, Amber Yellow, Baltic Blue, Deep Forest Green, and Rye Bread Black.
Cashing in gastronomic identity
Lithuania Travel, the country’s Tourism Development Agency, which is behind the installation concept, is cashing in the country’s gastronomical identity for its promotional campaign this year. “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,” recalls Indre Trakimaitė-Šeškuvienė, Head of Marketing at Lithuania Travel.
Šaltibarščiai is one of the most iconic Lithuanian dishes, enjoying a cult following on Facebook where members of its fan group are engaged in daily discussions on the best ways to prepare it. Its popularity has even sprouted a range of souvenirs such as socks, t-shirts and bathing suits with the distinct soup imprint. To top it all, the Lithuanian Post Office has issued a commemorative stamp and painted one of its 9 metre self-service terminals in “cold pink”.
Amusing and safe destination
Vilnius International Airport is known for its innovative campaigns targeting passengers. Last Christmas, it put a Christmas tree made of confiscated objects on display to warn of its dangerous items prohibition policy in an amusing way, and during the lockdown, it turned its parking area into an outdoor drive-in cinema.
“You have to be bold if you want to be seen on an international level. We believe that this colourful campaign will help to attract the attention of tourists around the globe and will make them consider the possibilities to visit Lithuania – one of the safest countries this summer,” says Marius Zelenius, Head of Communication at Lithuanian Airports.
Building on the country’s low infection rate (1816 coronavirus cases, 1512 recovered and just 78 deaths), from July, 70 international routes will be available to and from Lithuanian airports.
