Lithuania shines in global health tourism, winning a prestigious award
This year, Lithuania continues to strengthen its position in the international tourism arena by winning one of the world’s most important health tourism awards, the ITB Health Tourism Award 2025. This prestigious award is given by ITB Berlin, the world’s largest and most influential global tourism exhibition, which evaluates countries’ achievements in developing health tourism infrastructure, quality of services and international visibility.
The award was presented to Lithuania on 5 March 2025 at the ITB Medical & Health Night event in Berlin, which brought together the world’s leading representatives of the global health tourism industry. Lithuania was selected as the country with the highest level of medical and health services, sustainable development and successful international cooperation. “This award is yet another proof that Lithuania is becoming more and more visible and appreciated in the international health tourism market. Our country’s spas and medical spas offer a unique combination of tradition and innovation, which attracts visitors from all over the world and is recognised by experts in the field,” says Olga Gončarova, Head of the national tourism promotion agency VšĮ “Keliauk Lietuvoje”. Lithuania’s medical spas and spa centres are renowned for their unique natural resources, such as mineral water and therapeutic mud, whose healing effects are recognised internationally. Furthermore, Lithuania is included in the EU Patienten.DE list of recommended countries, which confirms the highest quality standards. According to the data from the National Association of Medical Spa and Rehabilitation Centres, in 2024, a record number of 290 thousand guests visited Lithuanian medical spas and rehabilitation centres, or 16% more than in the previous year. The number of overnight stays increased by 21% to almost 1.5 million, while the average length of stay increased from 4.8 to 5 days.
“Lithuanian spas have long been renowned for their unique wellness traditions and innovative treatments. This award is a recognition of the work of the whole sector and proof that we are moving in the right direction, combining traditional values with modern technologies,” says Kristina Citvarienė, Executive Director of the Lithuanian Association of Resorts.
The ITB Health Tourism Award 2025 will join Lithuania’s recent list of international awards. Last year, Lithuania was voted the world’s second-best travel destination in the world and Europe’s number one destination in 2025 by global travel guide “LonelyPlanet”. The prestigious Michelin Guide has awarded stars to four restaurants in the country, a Michelin Green Star to one restaurant and the Bib Gourmand label to four others. Additionally, the capital of the country also received an exceptional rating. Vilnius was awarded two special titles: the city was named “European Christmas Capital 2025” and “European Green Capital 2025”.
