The Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) and tourism industry organisations agreed on 27 August on three areas for further action: jointly preparing tourism marketing and industry support scenarios for 2027–2029, assessing the creation of a practical support programme for businesses, and continuing data-driven evaluation of marketing results. During the meeting, participants analysed the situation in the sector, the results of LIAA’s activities in 2026, and Latvia’s opportunities to strengthen its competitiveness in the Baltic and Nordic region.
Participants agreed that tourism growth requires coordinated action by the government and the industry, timely planning of activities and continuity of funding. The level of available funding will determine the intensity of international campaigns, Latvia’s participation in exhibitions and B2B events, the number of visits by foreign media and tourism professionals, and consequently the potential contribution to the Latvian economy.
The tourism industry was represented at the meeting by the Association of Latvian Travel Agents and Operators, the Association of Hotels and Restaurants of Latvia, the Latvia Convention Bureau, the Latvian Rural Tourism Association “Lauku ceļotājs”, the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency, as well as the tourism associations of Kurzeme, Latgale, Vidzeme and Zemgale.
Positive June, but challenges remain
According to data from the Central Statistical Bureau, Latvia’s tourist accommodation establishments hosted 313,900 guests in June 2026, up 5% compared with June 2025. The number of foreign guests increased by 4%, while the number of domestic guests rose by 6.3%. The number of nights spent increased by 1.8%, including a 0.8% increase in nights spent by foreign guests.
Lithuania remains Latvia’s largest foreign tourism market. Positive trends are also being observed from Germany, Finland and the United Kingdom, while developments in the Estonian market require further analysis. The industry stressed that positive figures for a single month do not yet reflect the full-year picture and that Latvia must continue working to regain previously lost ground.
“June has provided a positive signal for the tourism industry, but over a broader period we still see several challenges. Our goal is to increase both the number of foreign visitors and their spending in Latvia, so it is essential to select priority markets carefully, assess marketing returns based on data, and plan future activities in good time. LIAA implements tourism policy measures within the resources available, and together with the industry we will prepare a well-founded proposal on priorities and the measures required for 2027–2029,” emphasises Vita Balode-Andrūsa, Director of LIAA’s Export and Innovation Services Department.
Marketing results are also measured by actual arrivals in Latvia
Additional funding allocated this year has enabled LIAA to step up international tourism promotion, increase the visibility of Latvia’s regions, particularly Latgale, and strengthen B2B networking. In spring, the “Unbox Latvia” campaign was implemented in Germany, the United Kingdom and Poland, while during the summer communication continued in Germany, the United Kingdom and Finland in cooperation with Amadeus.
This year, 28 foreign media representatives from ten countries have visited Latvia on trips organised by LIAA. The estimated combined audience of the resulting publications and broadcasts exceeds 51 million. LIAA has also organised 14 familiarisation visits for foreign tour operators and representatives of business tourism agencies, five of which included B2B matchmaking events for Latvian companies.
Increasing the visibility of Latvia’s regions
Radio and digital campaigns were carried out in Lithuania and Estonia during the summer, regularly highlighting events and tourism offers in Latvia’s regions. Three Lithuanian and two Estonian content creators with a combined following of more than one million took part in the campaigns. They visited various Latvian regions and cities, introducing their audiences to regional gastronomy, culture and nature.
The media budget for promoting the Home Café Days has also been significantly increased. The campaign uses advertising on radio, online, video platforms, social media and in urban environments, as well as cooperation with local content creators. Its aim is to increase visitor flows to Latvia’s regions and raise awareness of local businesses and their offerings.
Together with tour operators, LIAA is also continuing to evaluate tourism products developed by cooperation networks. Inspection visits assess the suitability of products for specific foreign markets and target audiences. During the discussion, the industry particularly stressed the need to develop regional tourism products that are easy for independent international travellers to find, understand and purchase.
“At the beginning of the summer, following the events in Latvian airspace, we saw a sharp decline in bookings in Latgale, and there were justified concerns about the entire tourism season. The rapid involvement of government institutions, the additional tourism promotion campaigns launched by LIAA and media efforts to explain the situation helped reduce travellers’ concerns and stabilise booking dynamics. This made a significant contribution to preserving the season, although overall results may still be lower than last year. The Latgale tourism industry is genuinely grateful for this support,” emphasises Jeļena Kijaško, Chair of the Board of the Latgale Tourism Association.
Work in priority markets to continue in autumn
From October to November, LIAA plans to run an international autumn and winter tourism campaign. It will expand the “Unbox Latvia” content with autumn holiday and winter leisure offers, highlighting cultural events, gastronomy, nature, Christmas activities, and tourism opportunities in Riga and Latvia’s regions.
Germany and the United Kingdom have been selected as the campaign’s main markets, with supplementary communication planned in Finland and Sweden. In cooperation with Stena Line, autumn and winter travel from Sweden to Kurzeme and Riga will also be promoted.
By the end of the year, LIAA and Latvian tourism companies plan to participate in B2B events in Finland, Sweden, Poland and Germany, the JATA international tourism exhibition in Japan and the IBTM World business tourism exhibition in Barcelona. Visits to Latvia by foreign tour operators, business tourism agencies and media representatives are also planned.
“Competition for international conferences and corporate events in the Baltic and Nordic region is becoming increasingly intense, and Latvia competes in this market not only through its destination offer, but also through accessibility, costs and its ability to prepare high-quality proposals in good time. Business tourism attracts high-spending international visitors outside the summer season as well, but results cannot be achieved through isolated, short-term activities. Coordinated action by the Latvia Convention Bureau, businesses, LIAA, the Riga municipality and other partners is required, together with a predictable presence in professional markets and targeted work over several years,” emphasises Jānis Priede, Member of the Board of the Latvia Convention Bureau.
During the first seven months of the year, the Latvia Travel portal recorded 483,000 users from abroad. Lithuania and Germany accounted for the largest numbers, with 109,000 users each, followed by the United Kingdom, Finland, Estonia and Poland. In preparation for the autumn and winter campaign, information on seasonal offers and events will be updated on the portal.
LIAA encourages regional tourism organisations, municipalities and event organisers to actively update the Latvia Travel events calendar. A broader and more timely offering enables foreign travellers to plan their stays in Latvia and allows specific regional events to be incorporated into international communication.
Future action scenarios to be developed together with the industry
LIAA is currently analysing several tourism marketing and industry support scenarios for 2027–2029, taking into account different potential budget levels. The scenarios envisage varying levels of international campaigns, publicity, B2B activities, visits by tourism professionals and support for businesses. No specific funding decisions have yet been made.
At the same time, the creation of a new support programme for tourism companies is being assessed. It could provide support for participation in international exhibitions, B2B events and professional events, sales visits, hosting foreign partners in Latvia, representation activities and the development of marketing materials.
LIAA and the industry agreed to develop the potential programme conditions jointly so that the support would also be practical and accessible for smaller businesses and would encourage cooperation between several companies in developing joint export offerings.
“The international tourism market currently faces geopolitical uncertainty, economic vulnerability, travellers postponing decisions and changes in air connectivity. Under these conditions, Latvian companies particularly need practical support for international sales, participation in professional events and attracting partners. The industry is ready to participate actively and invest its own resources, working together with LIAA to determine priorities and create a more predictable multi-year activity plan. A consistent presence in target markets and coordinated action are prerequisites for strengthening Latvia’s tourism competitiveness,” emphasises Ēriks Lingebērziņš, Chair of the Board of the Association of Latvian Travel Agents and Operators.
The parties will continue working on the priorities for 2027–2029 and, once the funding scenarios have been refined, will agree on the measures that can deliver the greatest contribution to Latvia’s tourism exports with the resources available.
