Sightseeing tours manager Algimanta Diburienė has been working in the field of tourism for 25 years and joined Novaturas 20 years ago since its beginning. According to her, organisation of trips have changed beyond recognition during that period.
“First of all, we didn't have any catalogs - we started from scratch. Today, with information on websites and social networks, it is hard to believe that printed catalogs were then the only comprehensive source of information. Before leaving for the trip, we briefly laid out the program in a few sentences on a simple sheet of paper. Later, small catalogs appeared, expanding until they grew into current ones. Now it would be difficult for others to imagine, but at that time we were driving old buses, navigating with paper maps in our hands and when we got lost we turned to taxi drivers for help,” remembers A.Diburienė.
"Despite all the conditions at the time, the traveler's main goal was to see as much as possible. According to A.Diburienė, everyone was eager for the Western world - museums, art, cities, attractions. "We literally ran around Paris from one object to another in the true sense of the word. People didn't need free time, everyone wanted to see and learn as much as possible, even eating or sleeping didn't matter that much," laughs Algimanta.
Solving the situation without cell phones
The woman says the time was not easy, but very interesting, as various things happened - people would get lost and buses would break. Now all the buses are new, travelers are staying comfortably at hotels, but 20 years ago everything was different. Getting lost today is practically impossible for both the traveler and the bus driver - everyone has cell phones and even a few navigation applications or gadgets.
“I remember once driving from Switzerland to France with a group of 40 people and just after leaving Geneva we had three tires explode in succession. I remembered that in that case, the fire fighters in France needed to be informed about the matter, so we went to the border town, found them, set out our problems and they welcomed us. 40 people were occupied and served with tea and wine while the tires on the bus were replaced," says Algimanta.
Algimanta's colleague Aleksandra Gavėnienė, who has also worked at Novaturas since its beginning, remembers the case when she did not find the bus at the agreed location after an excursion with a group of 40 tourists.
“There was a situation in Spain when we agreed with the driver that we would meet at a certain place, and it turned out later that the bus could not come there because of traffic changes in the city. We didn't have cell phones, so we had to rely on feeling and think of an alternative place to meet the bus driver. Luckily, the driver himself thought about the same place as I did,” laughs A. Gavėnienė.
Savings were spent on traveling
About 20 years ago the average salary in Lithuania was about 800 litas (approx. EUR 200), when a bus trip to Italy cost 1699 litas and to France - 1499 litas. However, the popularity of traveling grew despite the relatively high costs of trips.
“People were used to saving for the rainy day and when the walls opened and independence came, they started spending that money on travel. And most went on trips with the whole family. Now I notice many solo travelers, most of them are women. The age of passengers has also changed. When I started working, mostly 35-40 year old tourists used to travel, now a bit older people choose bus trips", says A.Diburienė.
According to guides, 20 years ago, tourists were most eager to visit Western Europe and were pleased to have the opportunity to purchase a travel voucher to their dream country. At that time, the most popular travel directions (Italy, Spain or Paris) were getting sold out very quickly, the groups were overcrowded, so if you missed one, you had to wait for quite long for another opportunity.
Quantity has been replaced by the need for quality
Dalia Varnienė, Sales manager of sighseeing tours at Novaturas, says that quantity has now been largely replaced by the need for quality. Many travelers now want a slower pace, more entertainment, more free time to enjoy their vacation.
“Tastings are becoming more popular on trips - cheeses, cured ham, oil, olives or a variety of local drinks. In the evenings, travelers are offered concerts, performances, musicals or even opera or ballet by local musicians. Travelers love vacation where they can combine slow pace with exploring new things - for example, staying in the same place and going on different excursions”, says D.Varnienė.
Sightseeing tour manager Alexandra says that food is very important for today's traveler. People want to know the gourmet side of different countries, something that has never been tried before.
“It was impossible to persuade a Lithuanian traveler to eat an oyster 20 years ago, and it was extremely expensive, and such unprecedented innovations scared them. Now, sometimes with some fear, but people are curious and try new things. Travelers are looking for more sophisticated foods, and know in what region something gourmet can be found. In the past, those things were very expensive and people were saving a lot while traveling - not even buying a cup of coffee at a gas station. Now we are more like the people of the Western world,” says Alexandra.
Other jokes
Travel guides admit that over the last 20 years, there have been many different situations at Novaturas - some were fun and makes us smile now, but others used to completely mess up travel plans. “I remember when very kind seniors bought a plane trip. We had already planned the trip, waited for the departure date, but on the day of leaving we were informed that they did not fly out because they were stopped by passport control. When we asked why did this happen, the woman admitted that her husband cut off his passport before the trip because it did not fit in his passport case," says D.Varnienė.
According to Algimanta, some of the situations were very funny, for example, she once went to a park with a group of tourists in Italy. Having a good time, after dinner, it was time to go back and the park was locked. The woman laughs as she remembers how the entire tourist group had to climb over the fence.
Algimanta says travel is the best examination of a relationship. In 20 years, she has seen not only broken relationships, new friendships, but on her travels, even 4 couples have created families who are living happily ever since.
Both tour guides agree that over 20 years, Lithuanians have become curious and skilled travelers who have mastered many travel planning and organizing tools. And while many opt for a lazy vacations in Turkish or Egyptian resorts, exotic lands and active recreation are gaining popularity.
