The number of tourists staying in hotels will reach the level of 2019 next year, while the number of tourists staying in apartments will reach this level already this year.
As the director of the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency (RITA) Fredis Bikovs informed at the press conference, 617,647 tourists stayed in hotels in Riga this year in seven months, which is 14% more than in 2023.
As Ėirsis explained, Covid-19 is not the main reason why the number of tourists decreased earlier. When the pandemic ended, people came out of their homes and started traveling again.
On the other hand, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Riga lost approximately 200,000 Russian and Belarusian tourists who will not return, therefore Riga is trying to replace these tourists with Western European and Scandinavian tourists.
As reported, a press conference is being held today at RITA, where information will be provided about the 2024 tourism data in Riga and the campaigns organized so far to promote tourism, as well as the planned winter campaign.
The municipal agency “Riga Investment and Tourism Agency” was established in 2021. Its main objective is to ensure a sustainable and transparent promotion of investment and tourism in the world, serving as a single point of contact for any external stakeholder, including investors, companies, tourists and citizens; provide information, solve problems and ensure a prosperous and sustainable environment for business development, thus supporting existing investment projects, as well as attracting new ones, promoting the development of tourism and the international recognition of Riga.