In a bid to boost Lithuania’s visibility, the country invited internet personality IShowSpeed for a visit. But while public discussions over the costs and choice of influencer continue, communication experts say the broader issue is the lack of a consistent, long-term strategy to promote Lithuania. Year after year, the image of the country, and of its capital Vilnius, is shaped by one-off campaigns, leaving the core question – “What is Lithuania?” – unanswered.
IShowSpeed’s following largely consists of children and teenagers.
The American influencer, who boasts over 42 million subscribers on YouTube, rose to prominence through gaming, challenge videos and reaction content. His four-hour visit to Lithuania, welcomed by hundreds of young fans in Cathedral Square, included activities such as discus-throwing lessons in Vingis Park with record-holding thrower Mykolas Alekna.
IShowSpeed also visited the TV Tower, a symbol of Lithuania’s struggle for freedom, tried on medieval armour, and took a hot-air balloon ride – in the only European capital to offer such an experience. His visit sparked online debate, with critics questioning whether the €27,000 promotional cost, organised by Go Vilnius and Lithuania Travel, was too high. Others questioned the choice of influencer, asking whether a YouTuber popular mainly with a young audience would genuinely boost tourism to Lithuania.
“46 percent of travellers look for inspiration specifically on social media, and it is practically impossible to reach the new generation using traditional methods. We believe this is a great opportunity for Lithuania,” said Olga Gončarova, head of Lithuania Travel.
Over the course of an 11-hour livestream, the influencer visited all three Baltic countries in a single day. In Tallinn, he was welcomed by the Estonian Prime Minister; in Latvia, the Minister of the Economy gave him a national football team shirt. In Lithuania, he was greeted by Minister of the Economy and Innovation Lukas Savickas and Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas.
Communication experts describe the influencer’s visit as a success for Lithuania, noting that the amount spent on the trip was not excessive.
“If anyone thinks that suddenly everyone will rush to buy plane tickets to Vilnius, that’s not the case – they won't. Will hotel occupancy in one of Europe’s most beautiful cities increase because of this? No, it won’t. We shouldn’t expect that. But will Lithuania’s, and especially Vilnius’s, visibility increase? Yes,” says communication expert Jaunius Špakauskas.
Tomas Bartninkas, strategy director at the agency Truth, said such promotional efforts only work if organisers follow them up with further steps.
“It’s like life. If you dress nicely once but walk around scruffy the rest of the time, people will think you’re scruffy. But if you consistently dress well, people will think: that’s a well-dressed person. It’s the same here. If you consistently follow through, then at time X, audience Y will realise what a wonderful, fun, cheerful country we are,” Bartninkas explained.
This is not the first time that advertising campaigns promoting the country and its major cities have faced criticism. Last year, a stir was caused by the Vilnius campaign “Expectations vs Reality.” The campaign sought to challenge entrenched Western stereotypes not only about Vilnius but about the entire Eastern European region. However, some residents labelled the campaign counterproductive, calling it “anti-advertising” for showcasing alcoholism and begging.
Experts said the campaign was poorly targeted at audiences in the UK and Germany.
“I do not doubt that in Moldova, Poland, and similar countries where this situation is familiar, many more people would watch it all the way through and understand our message,” says communications expert Erikas Murinas.
Nonetheless, according to Go Vilnius, international media coverage and subsequent research showed the campaign was successful.
“About 50 percent of Germans and Brits who saw the ad were prompted to find out more about Vilnius – and we saw that in the so-called click-throughs. People saw the ad and clicked on it,” said Go Vilnius head Dovilė Aleksandravičienė.
Experts continue to point to the 2018 “Vilnius – the G-spot of Europe” campaign as the most successful. It sparked heated debate at the time, especially as it was launched shortly before the Pope’s visit, with some accusing Vilnius of presenting itself as a sex tourism destination.
“We reached 600 million people. Vilnius was featured on all the major international news outlets, and tourism increased by 12 percent,” said Murinas.
Still, Go Vilnius says the IShowSpeed appearance should not be compared with full-scale marketing campaigns. Celebrity appearances, they argue, aim to drive direct engagement – comments, reactions, social buzz – whereas major campaigns aim to spark conversation and gain international media attention.
According to Aleksandravičienė, target tourism market studies are conducted every year, with last year yielding the strongest results in five years.
“Rita Ora came from the UK, our cold beetroot soup festival – and our playful rivalry with Latvia over who owns the soup – even made it onto the BBC,” Aleksandravičienė added.
Despite the successes, experts warn that Lithuania's promotion efforts remain fragmented – based on one-off campaigns rather than strategic communication. They stress that sustainable visibility, tourism growth and foreign investment come from coherent long-term efforts, not momentary stunts.
Agency heads argue Lithuania should work more with travel-oriented influencers. Murinas pointed to Albania as an inspiring case: in 2016, the country welcomed just a few million tourists, while last year, that number had soared to tens of millions.
“It started with Instagram Reels, TikToks, influencers and so on. Then everyone else followed. That’s just how it works. The enthusiasts come first,” Murinas said.
Experts stress that the biggest problem is that nearly four decades after regaining independence, Lithuania still struggles to answer a fundamental question: who are we as a country, and what is Vilnius?
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