Sarunas Vaitkus, Mayor of Palanga, Lithuania's biggest resort on the Baltic coast: 'We are implementing approximately 60 projects this year, which is a lot'

Although we waved goodbye to summer almost a month ago, September in Palanga, Lithuania's biggest resort by the Baltic Sea, has extended it considerably beyond July, with plenty of hot summer-like days. "Palangos tiltas", the newspaper of Palanga, kindly asked the Mayor of Palanga Sarunas Vaitkus to review the season. "We are implementing approximately 60 projects this year, which is a lot," the mayor of Palanga emphasised.

– Please evaluate the ending season in Palanga in a few cross-sections. How many guests did the resort receive by 10 September? How much of the "pillow" tax has been collected? Car parking fees? For sales in locations designated by the municipality?

– It has been a really good summer, which has treated us to good weather, so the resort has received many visitors. As of 11 September, the Pillow Tax collected during the three months of the summer amounted to 640,633 euros. Children under 18 do not pay this charge. These figures are not final, as accommodation providers will declare the data for August and pay the tax throughout September. 

The municipality collected almost 1.458 million euros local parking fees on the city's streets by September, which is approximately 12 percent more than during the whole of last year's active resort season. This year, 1.079 million euros was collected for permits to sell and provide services in public places designated by the Municipal Council and put out to tender. 

It is great to see that summer in Palanga has been going on since April – already in the spring we have been blessed with good weather, and the cultural events taking place in the resort have attracted a very large number of guests. The European Brass Band Championship was a particular highlight, attracting huge interest not only from Lithuanians but also from foreigners. Thanks to this championship, we attracted more than half a thousand Swiss people alone, who were visiting not only Palanga but also Lithuania for the first time. This is encouraging. 

September is also a warm month, allowing resort guests to continue their summer entertainment in Palanga. However, autumn in Palanga attracts guests not only because of its weather and the beautiful seaside nature, but also due to a variety of events – both cultural and sporting, as well as republic-level conferences. 

In addition, Palanga is rapidly gaining popularity not only as a place to relax but also as a place for remote working. Our city offers a well-suited infrastructure for remote working and, after a productive day, exceptional offers for rest and leisure. This also increases the number of visitors to the resort. 

– What was unexpected for you this summer?

– Maybe it was not so much unexpected as it was a joyful change – Palanga has gained the reputation and status of an international resort. We had many foreign visitors, and we were surprised by the number of Germans who came to Palanga in their own cars.  It was nice, but also a bit strange, to see so many cars with German licence plates on the city streets, to hear German language on the streets, in cafés, and to meet young German-speaking families with children. 

It was also pleasantly surprising to see so many visitors to Palanga on a long weekend in August that even traffic jams began to form at the entrance to the resort. I understand that drivers have suffered some inconvenience, but this large number of visitors only confirms once again that Palanga is truly a popular Lithuanian resort.

 – If you are self-critical, what and where could have been better?

– Naturally, there are always things you can do better. As far as I know, most of the criticism in the press has been about the lack of public toilets in Palanga, but I wouldn't like to agree - it is not possible to put toilets every ten metres.  However, I would like to point out that a project for temporary structures on the beach is currently being prepared  – we want to offer a number of possible designs for businesses operating on the beach during the summer, in order to give the beach an attractive appearance, to maintain unity, and at the same time to provide permanent public toilets for all beach-goers in the cafes on the beach. We are also working on projects to upgrade the city's stationary public toilets. 

 – Are the efforts of Klaipeda region municipalities to promote the region effective and always coordinated, without trying to show themselves more than their neighbours? What else are you missing here?

– I am glad that thanks to the professionalism and sincere efforts of all Palanga residents, Palanga has become a truly international resort over the last decade. There is a tendency that the number of foreign guests in the resort is increasing. Guests have discovered and appreciated not only the professional catering, accommodation, health and other services, but also the special coziness of Palanga, the wonderful nature and the pine-scented air. 

Of course, most of the foreigners visiting Palanga come from neighboring countries, but we also receive visitors from distant markets like South Africa, USA, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, etc. 

I am glad that the municipalities of Western Lithuania, gathered in the association "Klaipeda Region", are working in unity and pursuing common goals. We all understand that we are strong when we work together and not alone. 

To concentrate the joint efforts of the members of the association in the field of tourism in order to increase the number of tourists in the Klaipeda region, to shape the image of a united tourist region and to increase its competitiveness in the national and international level, coordinating the joint activities of the municipalities this is one of the goals of the association "Klaipeda Region".

The united work of the Association's members yields positive results. For several years now, Palanga Airport has been expanding the geography of flights, and the association Klaipeda Region and all seven municipalities of Western Lithuania belonging to the association have been contributing to it to a significant extent, continuing the tradition of increasing the region's accessibility, which has been in place since 2016. The decision to allocate funds for the marketing of new flights relevant to Klaipeda Region has yielded the expected results. Thanks to them, Palanga Airport now offers flights to London and, this spring, to Amsterdam, one of Europe's most important transport hubs.  

One of the most striking examples of united work is the cooperation agreement signed in early September to promote new flights from Palanga Airport and improve accessibility to the Klaipeda region. I have no doubt that the agreement, signed by the Klaipeda Region Association, the municipalities of Western Lithuania and the Ministries of Transport and Communications and the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, will open up new opportunities to attract more international flights to the Western Lithuania region, which will not only strengthen the region's international accessibility, but also help to grow tourism and business relations. This is important for the whole region, not for individual municipalities. 

– Recently, there was news of training for young sailors in the Sventoji Seaport, although government lawyers have questioned the proposal to allow Sventoji Port to be used as a training base for children's sailing. Will there be such a base in Sventoji?

– I have no doubt that we will have a regional Sailing School in Sventoji – Palanga City Municipality has become a shareholder of the sailing sports school "Ziemys", and the design competition for the building of the Sailing School in the territory of the Sventoji harbour has been announced. The winning bidder will have to design the building within ten months of the signing of the contract. Once we have the design, we will start construction.

It is sad that until now, even though we are a maritime country, young Lithuanian sailors – children, even if they live by the sea, can only train in the lagoon, because they do not have the opportunity to go to sea with their own boats. Naturally, in international competitions held at sea, they were faced with "sea shock" and lack of training in real conditions. Fortunately, the Sventoji Port and the regional Sailing School that will be established here will change this situation dramatically. Already this summer, the first children gathered for a few days of camp and set sail from the port of Sventoji. The children of our resort will have a great opportunity to choose another sport - sailing. The new opportunities ahead are exciting.

– How much money has been allocated by the Municipality, the Government and the EU for the reconstruction of Sventoji Seaport this year? Last year? The year before last year? What has been done with these funds and what work is being done now?

– The second phase of work, the Fisheries Infrastructure Development Project, has been completed for a total cost of 5.9 million euros. The European Union contributed 1.7 million euros, the Lithuanian Road Administration contributed 535,000 euros, and other funds were raised from the municipal budget. The project phase started in October 2021 and was completed in 2023.

The work phase of the fishing infrastructure development has included the installation of all the infrastructure needed by fishermen, the construction of engineering networks and the landscaping of the port area. During the two years of implementation of this project, the quay in Sventoji port has been landscaped and extended, a slipway has been built to help fishermen launch their boats, and a winch has been installed for unloading catches, fishing equipment and boats. A building for storing fishermen’s boats and fishing gear has also been built and access to it has been provided. 

The Prieplaukos Street leading to Sventoji Port was also reconstructed and a parking lot was built, where fishermen will be able to keep their cars comfortably. The old car parking lot has also been renovated and part of it has been converted for the fish trade.  There have been installed disabled access ramps, an electric car charging station, a multi-purpose solar-powered public space service station and a refurbished public toilet.  

The quays, piers as well as breakwaters of the Sventoji Port are currently being designed, with an expected height of 3 metres above the water. The northern breakwater is planned to be made of boulders, while the southern breakwater could be used not only as a breakwater and yacht marina, but also as a promenade for strolling. In the first phase, the concrete walking section will be 200 metres long (up to the end of the marina), but there will be a possibility to extend it in the future up to the end of the breakwater, i.e. 660 metres. Other yachts will be able to moor at the harbor berths.

– Head of Government Ingrida Simonyte arrived in Palanga just at the end of her term of office to attend a camp for Ukrainian children in Palanga this summer. Have you not invited her before? Have you always had an ideal working relationship with your fellow ministers?

– This Government and the Prime Minister pay very close attention to Palanga, to the very important infrastructure of Palanga, and the Prime Minister is very supportive of the implementation of strategic projects in Palanga. In 2021, the Government has allocated a huge amount of funding, around 16 million euros – to improve the runway at Palanga Airport. It is also very pleasing that the Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has been very actively involved in the construction of the Sventoji Port and, together with the Ministry of Finance, has found a way to use regional funds for the construction of the marina. The European Commission also supported this. As a result, funding of approximately 16 million euros has now been secured for the Sventoji Port breakwaters. 

Since the beginning of my term of office, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte and I have been in contact with each other on work-related issues, and this cooperation, as I mentioned before, has brought important results for Palanga. Not all meetings with the Prime Minister have to be in person - we also communicate by phone and in writing when necessary, and we also meet in Vilnius for work-related issues. 

It is understandable that the Prime Minister's agenda is very busy, so she is often unable to visit Palanga. However, I am pleased that the Prime Minister has found time to visit our resort several times during her office term. During these visits of Mrs Simonyte, among other scheduled meetings, we are discussing issues of relevance to our city, such as the construction of the Sventoji Port and other strategic issues for Palanga and the region.

As for the children from Bucha (Ukraine) who were on holiday in Palanga, I would like to remind you that not only this summer, but also last summer, the Prime Minister welcomed the first shift of campers who arrived in Palanga. 

– Dozens of medics have left Palanga Rehabilitation Hospital, and the management of Klaipeda University Hospital has even considered closing the emergency department of Palanga Hospital, leaving only the nursing department. What is the municipality doing to ensure that Palanga Hospital remains with most of its medical services?

– The Klaipeda University Hospital management did not announce about the closing of the Emergency Department and had no such plans. However, another problem arose – what services would be provided in Palanga and for how many hours a day. Concerned about this, as you know, together with members of  Palanga City Council and Member of the Seimas Mindaugas Skritulskas, we appealed to the founders of Klaipeda University Hospital –  the Ministry of Health, Klaipeda University, as well as to the heads of the Government and the Health Affairs Committee of the Seimas (Parliament), and we asked them to take note of the situation, to listen to our arguments, and to mediate to ensure that the Palanga Hospital would be able to provide surgical emergency services.

A meeting at the Ministry of Health in early October will bring together all parties. I hope we will find the best solution for our residents. 

– Some people still miss having showers on the beach. Do you think we don't need them?

– I can't say unequivocally that beach showers are necessary or not – probably holidaymakers have different needs. However, we don't really feel a great need – the Baltic Sea is not that salty so that you would need to shower as soon as possible after swimming. 

Moreover, installing showers on the beach is technologically complicated – you need to build water and sewage networks, and after the active resort season is over, you need to remove all the equipment from the beach so that storms do not wash it away. I think it would be more appropriate not to talk about showers on the beach, but about the possibility of installing water stands near the dunes for washing feet. 

– The President of the Palanga Hotel and Restaurant Association has raised the idea of private beach stretches in Palanga. What do you think about this?

– In my opinion, Lithuania has too little coastline to devote part of it to private beaches. 

 – What work is planned for the municipality in the autumn?

– One of the main innovations this autumn will be the renovation of J. Basanavicius street lighting. We plan to replace all the luminaires on J. Basanavicius Street and renew the street lighting by summer. For the sake of consistency, the same luminaires as those on the pedestrian walkway will also decorate the sea bridge. The lighting in Jurates ir Kastytis Square will also be redesigned.

As for the ongoing works, it is worth mentioning that the renovation of the stadium of the Old Gymnasium is almost complete, intensive work is underway at the stadium of the Baltijos Primary School, work continues in the Youth and Volunteering Centre as well as the reconstruction of the city's polyclinic. 

The city's streets are being improved, with the construction of S. Neries Street continuing, work on Klevu Street underway, and the overhaul of Kunigiskes Street is about to start. 

There is also "paper" work that is not visible to the public – the Sventoji Port breakwaters and the House of Music and Art are being designed, the concept of the detailed plan is being prepared – we are planning to build an indoor football arena behind the Sports Centre, and the project of the Sventoji lighthouse is being finalised. Technical documentation is also being prepared for the Primary School, the S. Vainiunas Art School, and a technical project is being prepared for the Sventoji Elderly Municipality building.  

We have a building permit for putting in order Uzkanaves Street, and we are actively working on the construction of a new street with a bicycle path from Palanga through Kunigiskiai and Monciskes to Sventoji, a special plan is currently being drafted, and will be made available to the public in the near future. 

A tender has been announced for the design of the regional Sailing School to be built in the territory of the Sventoji Port, and we hope to have a project in place in about a year's time and to be able to start construction works. So, we will soon have a great base for children who want to learn sailing at sea. 

In addition to other works, as I mentioned, a project for temporary structures on the beach is being prepared, as well as projects for the renovation of stationary public toilets in the city, and even more works are underway that are not visible to the public.

In total, we have about 60 projects this year, which is a lot. 

– Did  you have a chance to swim in the Baltic Sea this year?

– I did. This year I had the opportunity to swim several times in the Baltic Sea with Mayor Blanchet François and his family. Mayor Blanchet François is from our partner city Saint Gilles Croix de Vie in France.