The Lithuanian capital of Vilnius is to stage the first joint annual conference of the Association of Independent Tour Operators and AITO Specialist Travel Agents.
The event on June 16-19 will mark 35 years of AITO and 15 years of AITO Agents.
The venue was revealed yesterday (Sunday) at the AITO Agents domestic conference in Warwickshire.
AITO chairman Derek Moore said the choice of Vilnius as the venue fitted the association’s desire to attend “somewhere not so well known but accessible”.
AITO Agents chairman Oliver Broad said: “This combined conference is a real first and we are expecting record attendance.
“More than two-thirds of AITO operators now sell through our [agency] members so it makes sense to bring agents and operators together. They will be able to draw upon each other’s support, share problems and experiences.”
AITO operators and agents will meet together for the opening and closing sessions of the conference and for evening events, at lunch and during breaks. But they will attend separate business sessions running parallel in between.
Hungary-based Wizz Air starts five flights a week between Luton and Vilnius and twice a week from Doncaster Sheffield from April 17.