Empty streets, closed pubs and restaurants, fear of using public transport and necessity to cover your face with a protective mask – for quite some time this was the new “normal”. The circumstances of the worldwide pandemic forced us to slow down the pace of life. No more exciting travel plans and vacations at the sandy Bali beaches, no more cozy evenings in the local pub raising a glass with your friends, no more regular ultra-fast everyday routine. The world just made us stop for a while.
Lively and always changing Vilnius, like all of us, unfortunately, was touched by quarantine. However, positive and creative Lithuanians decided not to give up, look at the situation creatively and keep our culture moving. They provided various innovations and unexpected entertainment to the residents and guests of the city. The original ideas did not go unnoticed and spread around the global media arena quite widely.
“With the help of 21st-century technologies and social networking we can all contribute to spreading the word about Lithuania around the world, – says Nona Sareikiene, Head of Estravel’s Travel and Events Department in Lithuania. – Every one of us has friends or business partners in foreign countries. Let’s share the news about our initiatives and new projects with them. The more people know about creative, advanced, and innovative Lithuania, the more interested foreign tourists will come to visit our country. We create Lithuania ourselves. Let’s show the world’s travelers, what experiences we can offer them”.
The excitement of Drive-In
A movie or a live concert without getting out of your car? Who could have imagined this? After traditional cinemas closed their doors due to quarantine, the new innovative project started in Vilnius – Zmones Cinema Drive-In movie theatre opened their “doors” on the 17th of April, 2020. The incredible team of creative people invited everyone to remember the best traditions of cinema and enjoy the best all-time movies safely without getting out of the car. The movies are displayed on a large outdoor video screen, and the sound is broadcasted via specified radio waves through the car radio. 
Another impressive project in the capital of Lithuania started on the 30th of April, 2020. “Kino pavasaris”, one of the best known International Movie festivals in Lithuania presented their new cycle of experiential sessions – “AeroCinema – the journey begins”. For the first time in the history, Vilnius airport apron area here planes take-off and lands, became a Drive-In Cinema. The residents and guests of Vilnius who long for spectacular experiences and travels will be able to enjoy a different type of traveling – seeing a world on the wide screen. Throughout a month people will be able to watch the films created by the world’s most famous directors. Worth to mention – the films are shown on the largest screen ever built in the Baltic states! The size of it is close to the five-story building!
Though, the rapidly popular idea of Drive-In Cinema was just a beginning. Not long after launching the first project, 24th of April, 2020 Lithuanian musicians started inviting people to their Drive-In concerts. Wouldn’t you like to enjoy the live concerts of famous Lithuanian performers, where the applause is replaced by a car signal and the smiles – by a flashing car light? Throughout the summer, this cycle of concerts will be held in a unique place – in the nature surrounded territory of Paluknis aerodrome.
“This is a great initiative and, I would say, a certain alternative to the music festivals that will probably not take place this summer, – says Nona Sareikiene. – I am also very pleased because this is the second travel-associated project in the country. Cinema in Vilnius Airport with thematically selected films and concerts surrounded by Paluknis aerodrome planes are great experiences for people who miss traveling”.
The city of creative people
Although our smiles are now hidden under the protective masks, creativity can’t be obscured. Designer Julia Janus decided to look at “the new must” accessory – face mask – from a different perspective and initiated Mask Fashion Week. This creative social project was soon joined by photographers, other designers, businessmen, musicians, students, and anyone who wants to. Innovative format fashion week offers a route through the streets of Vilnius Old Town, where you can see more than 20 creatively designed face masks displayed on “Clear Chanel” outdoor billboards.
“I am very pleased, that the news about Mask Fashion Week that started in Vilnius was widely heard not only in Lithuanian but also foreign media, – says Elena Dambravaite, Estravel Event Organising Expert. – There were a lot of project-related publications not only in Europe but also in the USA and Asia media channels. It’s not only a great way to spread the word about our country and our capital but also to show how innovative and creative we are”.
Vilnius – one big outdoor pub
Probably the most gratifying news for Vilnius residents and the one that received most of the attention in the world’s media was capital’s municipality decision to donate all the public city areas, squares, and closed streets to the restaurants, cafes, and pubs. Vilnius announced the idea of freedom for cafes in response to quarantine conditions, according to which all mentioned places can serve customers only outdoors. This way Vilnius became one big outdoor café and the great decision of the mayor of Lithuania capital didn’t go unnoticed. The articles about the innovative decision showed up in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, and many other news creators around the world. Ant the initiative gaining popularity not only in Lithuania – many foreign cities are already following or intending to follow this example of Vilnius.
All these new projects attract international attention to Vilnius, increases the knowledge about the city and the country and, also sends a message to the world about our innovative and creative country, – says Nona Sareikiene. – Even in the challenges posed by a pandemic, we can see new opportunities and offer safe alternatives. This is a very important, useful, and positive message to foreigners who plan to travel and organize events in Lithuania in the future. I believe, the innovative ideas that have emerged during this quarantine period will live on after the quarantine and will be applied in future projects in one or another way.
The easing of quarantine restrictions reminds us that we are returning to the life that used to be normal. Estravel Travel and events organizing experts urge you not to be afraid and plan your future events and memorable trips. We will help you to create a unique route for your dream trip, find innovative ideas for the event, offer the best price-quality ratio, and the most flexible cancelation policies. We are ready to provide safe and optimal event organization solutions to business and state institution teams and create exclusive travel routes for everyone eager to travel.