Employee wellness activities that involve travel gaining widespread acceptance as a strategy for boosting employee morale and productivity.
Baltic businesses are hopping on the bandwagon of incorporating travel into employee wellness and team-building programs. This trend has been gaining traction, particularly with the rise of remote work, as evident in the escalating popularity of tour operator Join UP! Baltic. In 2024, the number of group bookings surged by a whopping 49% compared to the previous year.
According to Aleksandra Posipaiko, MICE Segment Manager for the Baltics at Join UP! Baltic, companies from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia frequently opt for 3-4 day team-building trips abroad, preferring destinations within a four-hour flight radius. Lithuanian companies hold a significant lead in this sector.
"Companies meticulously weigh the destination and format of the trip based on the event's objectives, employee interests, and budget. The most favored destinations are those with well-developed tourism infrastructures and all-inclusive offerings, such as Egypt, Turkey, and Cyprus," Posipaiko elucidates.
With the growing demand, Join UP! Baltic established a dedicated department for group travelers in early 2024. As 2025 approaches, the tour operator anticipates the demand to expand to relatively close-by Balkan countries, including Albania, Montenegro, and Bulgaria.
Observations by the tour operator reveal that IT and financial, telecommunication companies, including insurance, are the most likely to organize such trips regularly, typically annually. However, this practice is steadily expanding beyond fintech and start-ups, with more traditional and conservative industries like agriculture and medicine joining the fray. Most companies schedule these trips at the beginning or end of the season for their chosen destination.
While many employees prefer straightforward beach holidays with minimal activities, additional experiences are becoming increasingly popular, particularly among repeat travelers. The most desired activities include short excursions, workshops like cooking masterclasses and local food tastings, as well as sports activities like yoga and meditation.
It's worth noting that although not a Lithuanian company, Latvia's airBaltic, recognized as a 13-time "Best Employer" in transport/logistics, focuses on employee growth through structured programs like its pilot academy, which includes financing for training. This underscores a broader Baltic emphasis on professional development as part of employee well-being, which could extend to travel-related team-building.
Specialists like Moonika Apart highlight the region's strength in "nature-based tourism" and "unique, authentic experiences," aligning with modern well-being travel trends. The LuxExpress bus service between Baltic capitals demonstrates infrastructure supporting accessible regional travel.
While there's no definitive proof to confirm Lithuania's leadership in this specific segment, some potential factors may contribute to it. These include:
- Startup Culture: Lithuania's burgeoning tech sector might adopt global well-being trends more swiftly than its neighbors.
- Tourism Infrastructure: Vilnius' UNESCO sites and Curonian Sands attractions provide a diverse array of team-building venues.
- Policy Support: Lithuanian grant programs for workplace innovation could incentivize creative well-being initiatives.
- Baltic businesses, such as those from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, are increasingly incorporating travel into employee wellness and team-building programs, with Lithuanian companies holding a significant lead in this sector.
- Companies carefully select destinations and formats for their team-building trips based on the event's objectives, employee interests, and budget, with Egypt, Turkey, and Cyprus frequently chosen due to their well-developed tourism infrastructures and all-inclusive offerings.
- As 2025 approaches, tour operator Join UP! Baltic anticipates the demand for team-building trips to expand to relatively close-by Balkan countries, such as Albania, Montenegro, and Bulgaria.
- In addition to IT and financial, telecommunication companies, the tour operator has observed that IT and start-ups are the most likely to organize team-building trips regularly, but more traditional and conservative industries like agriculture and medicine are starting to join the trend.
- While many employees prefer straightforward beach holidays, additional experiences such as short excursions, cooking masterclasses, local food tastings, and sports activities like yoga and meditation are becoming increasingly popular among repeat travelers.
