Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
diminished by 2.4 days to 1.77 days (Briksne,
2005a).
include hotels up to 50 km from the capital
(Fig. 14.3).
There were 326 tourist accommodation
establishments in 2003, a 9% increase on
2002. In 2003 the number of serviced visitors
increased by 13% to 759,500. Hotel, guest
house and motel service quality assessment is
undertaken by the Hotel and Restaurant Cen-
tre. It is a voluntary procedure and frequently
tourism accommodation owners themselves
decide on their qualification category. Some
118 establishments had passed the voluntary
certification at the time of writing (Central
Statistical Bureau of Latvia, 2004b; Association
of Hotels and Restaurants of Latvia, 2005).
The rural tourism accommodation sector
has seen considerable recent growth (a 770%
increase in 9 years) (Table 14.4). Perhaps
because they have been driven out of the cities,
and especially R
i
ga, by an influx of foreign tour-
ists, domestic tourists actually accounted for
75% of rural tourism customers in 2004, com-
pared to 61% in 2003. By far the most impor-
tant
Increase in tourism accommodation
occupancy rate
Since 1991 the occupancy rate of tourist accom-
modation has been steadily growing. The year
2004 was exceptionally successful for the hospi-
tality industry, stimulated by EU entry, new air
services from Western European markets and
the growing significance of R
i
ga as a business
centre. Summer occupancy in R
i
ga increased by
15-20% (rising to an occupancy rate of 90%),
and over the whole year by an average of 10%.
Indeed, some inbound tourism service compa-
nies complained about a constraining shortage
of tourist accommodation. For 2005 there were
plans to begin construction of 20 new hotels,
when R
i
ga could accommodate 8000 people
and J
u
rmala 2000 (23 km from R
i
ga). Conse-
quently, accommodation for the 2006 World Ice
Hockey Championship in R
i
ga is supposed to
overseas
market
for
rural
tourism
is
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Room occupancy rate
Bed occupancy rate
Fig. 14.3.
Occupancy rates in
Latvian hotels, 1997-2003.
Source: Central Statistical
Bureau of Latvia, 2004b.
1997
1999
2001
2003
Ye ar
Table 14.4.
Latvia: rural tourism accommodation provision, 1993-2004.
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2004
Hotels and other
accommodation
establishments
a
170
180
200
210
274
326
343
Accommodation in
rural areas
b
Association
founded
38
70
116
210
275
294
a
Excluding state special sanatoria and centres of rehabilitation which render state orders in the field of
health care.
b
Members of professional association, Lauku Ce
k
ot
a
js.
Sources:
Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, 2004b, 2005; Lauku Ce
k
ot
a
js, 2005.
