Go Vilnius for a Workation

Vilnius is again putting the emphasis on the work/travel combination by inviting foreign companies to take part in the second edition of city tourism agency’s Workation Vilnius programme. Foreign businesses are invited to register to win one of three one-week trips to Vilnius, where they can get a taste of the city’s work/life balance. “The best impressions one gets of a city come from personal experiences, so instead of just describing the advantages of working and living in Vilnius, we are inviting people to feel them first-hand. Moreover, by inviting teams from foreign companies to Vilnius we are able to demonstrate our business infrastructure and talent, and take care of entertainment outside of work to create a multi-faceted experience,” says tourism agency Go Vilnius Director Inga Romanovskienė. Teams coming to Vilnius for a week-long workation will be accommodated in the newly opened co-working space located on the central street of the city. After work, the teams will be encouraged to dive into the Vilnius’ leisure life by visiting museums and galleries, checking out the city’s restaurants and nightlife, taking part in activities, and discover novel ways to explore the city. Participants from last year’s programme were especially happy to have the opportunity to fly in a hot air balloon above Vilnius. The activity will definitely be part of this year’s programme once again. Registration for Workation Vilnius will be open throughout of May and teams wishing to participate in the programme can register at www.workationvilnius.lt. Three winners best matching the programme’s criteria will be selected from the applications. They will be asked to assemble teams of up to 10 co-workers and will receive free return flights, four-star accommodation during their stay, and an office to be based at in September. Last year’s Vilnius Workation participants included teams representing telecommunication BT Group, travel planning platform owner Expedia from Great Britain, and start-up OrderYOYO from Denmark. During the visit, programme participants were given the opportunity to discover the leisure side of the city, and also got to meet and exchange experiences with professionals representing various Lithuanian businesses and institutions. For example, BT Group exchanged business practices with Lithuanian telecommunication company Telia, and Expedia shared their insights about Vilnius with representatives working in the local tourism sector. “Upon arrival to Vilnius, we wished not only to work and rest, but also to return the gift we received from the city by providing more information about Vilnius in the world of tourism,” stated Evelina Hederer, Expedia Group Media Solutions’ Sales Manager for Central and Eastern Europe. The bureau says the Workation Vilnius programme is about inviting foreign businesses to experience a new city and giving their employees an opportunity to break from daily office routines and spend more time together. This combination of work and holiday provides companies with a valuable opportunity to evaluate the new location’s infrastructure and general atmosphere for business.