Have A Souper Time In Lithuania!

Travellers arriving at Vilnius International Airport in Lithuania are guaranteed a ‘souper’ time thanks to the Tourist Development Agency’s latest stunt aimed at boosting tourism.

Passengers will be invited to follow a ‘cold’ pink-coloured trail across the airport – said to be identical in shade to Lithuania’s national soup dish, šaltibarščiai - and, at the end of the trail, there is an Instagrammable 10-foot replica of the famed dish, which tourists inevitably try during their visit to the Baltic country.

“This year, we’re taking our gastronomical identity to the next level. Recently we launched a taste map with more than 30 varieties of šaltibarščiai, then we launched a country-wide survey on what the national menu should look like, and now this,” said Indre Trakimaitė-Šeškuvienė, Head of Marketing at Lithuania Travel, the country’s Tourism Development Agency.

Šaltibarščiai, frequently referred to as “pink soup” by foreign visitors, is one of the most iconic Lithuanian dishes. Having developed somewhat of a cult following, šaltibarščiai has an active Facebook fan group with daily discussions on the best way to prepare it.

Souvenirs are available in the form of socks, t-shirts and even bathing suits with the distinct soup pattern on it. Eveng the Lithuanian Post Office has issued a commemorative stamp and painted one of its 30-foot self-service terminals with a distinctive pink design!

The installation at the airport is set to kick-off the “Discover colours you never knew existed” campaign that invites travellers to explore Lithuania via vivid and distinctive colours. In addition to Cold Pink, the campaign invites tourists to discover Vilnius Rooftop Red, Deep Forest Green, Baltic Blue, Rye Bread Black, Amber Yellow and even Kaunas Modernism Grey.



Vilnius International Airport is known for finding ways to amuse arriving passengers. Last Christmas, it displayed a Christmas tree constructed of confiscated objects (mostly scissors), and during the lockdown, it served as 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 attract the attention of tourists around the globe and will make them consider the possibility of visiting Lithuania - one of the safest countries around,” said Marius Zelenius, Head of Communication at Lithuanian Airports.

Starting this month there are 70 international routes to and from Lithuanian airports.