VILNIUS — Lithuania is not known for skiing tourism, but in a few years it could be. The resort town of Druskininkai is already well-known for its large indoor waterparks, but in 2013 it should features an indoor skiing slope.
Lithuania’s Ministry of Economy announced Monday that it has awarded 40 million litai (€11.5 million) to the Druskininkai municipal government to build an indoor skiing facility.
The money will be taken from European Union structural funds earmarked for the development of tourism infrastructure. The ministry estimates that the indoor slopes will bring in 146,000 visitors from Lithuania and neighboring countries. The nearest indoor skiing facilities are located in Hamburg and Moscow.
Set to features slopes of artificial snow 53-63 m wide and 412 m long, the building is set for completion in 2013.
couldnt there be any other infrastructure/ tourism project such as making Kaunas mre attractive that would benefit more people than 146.000 plus workforce per year. The money could used more effectively. However the palace in Vilnius also wasted already millions of structural funds—- where is the EU asking questions about sense?? Its also not very energy efficient and markets in Hamburg or Moscw are just slightly bigger than in LT….. and people earn 4 times more or are rich….
Poland as nice ski resorts why should they come t LT for a 412m lng slope? Swedish— now way, Norwegian — why the hell—- and of course the big skiing nation of LT.
What about cycling routes, canooing stations and routes? wouldnt it make mre sense? Isnt Druskininkai already quite developed area? Why not supporting this time antother one?
It’s a joke, considering country’s diminishing attractiveness, african infrastructure and Germany/France/UK prices for food, lodging, clothing, whatever.
Being involved in the sports touism industry, previously involved in the ski hardware industry and recently left LTU back to the UK after almost 9 years living in Vilnius I think this is a daft waste of money…
How many people use the ski slope in Vilnius? Not a lot….
If LTU wants to develope a ski tourist industry then it should use the natural resources it has and invest in decent ski grooming machines and snow guns to produce a world class Nordic Ski resort at Ignalina and other places…. at a fraction the cost of an indoor facility…
Interestingly, the World’s biggest indoor ski facility is in Dubai :)
ridiculous !
in Hamburg a family (2 parents, 2 children) pays about 200 Euro per day. So one can imagine that costs to keep the system running wont differ too much, bcs technology is foreign and ski slopes are not to workforce intensive.
200 Euro— who can spend this amount of money here?
I just wonder which connections and corruption channels make this project possible? Maybe Balticreports could find out? How does LT press talk about it?
Ski Dubai is not the world’s biggest indoor slope, that’s just their (successful) PR hype as they’ve BS’d the whole world with that one. There are 6 or 7 larger in Holland, France, China and Germany. There are about 60 now in 25 countries worldwide now. Most of these facilities are profitable. I know nothing of Lithuania so maybe it is a bad idea there, but these facilities attract hundreds of thousands of people, sometimes millions, each year in other countries so maybe it isn’t as dumb as it sounds at first glance… Admission costs may not be as high as Hamburg if operating (Mostly staff and power) are lower?
Patrick Thorne’s comment if very constructive and I wish to add my own.
If designed, marketed, operated with professional help, I see this as a plus and viable, sustainable project. That is if !!!!
last 2 comments from people that earn money with ski slopes??
Well, this is kind of a good news. Wish Lithuania to attract indoor skiers from all over the world :)