Decline of Russian tourists to Latvia is compensated by Baltic, British and Finnish tourists

In 2015, 2.1 million foreign visitors stayed in Latvian accommodation establishments, which is 2.0 % more than in 2014. As compared with 2014, the number of foreign visitors grew by 3.1 %, reaching 1.5 million.

In turn, the number of nights spent by foreign visitors remained at the level of the previous year (decrease of 0.1 %). The average length of a stay of foreign visitors in accommodation establishments was two nights, according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia.

The number of visitors from Russia decreased by 31.5 %; however, this drop was compensated by an increase in the total number of foreign visitors from the European Union countries – Lithuania (of 19.8%), the United Kingdom (of 17.9%), Estonia (of 15.0%), Sweden (of 12.4%) and Finland (of 10.6%).

Of all foreign visitors 79.1% stayed in Riga, 8.2 % – in Jūrmala, 1.7 % – in Sigulda county, 1.5% – in Ventspils, 1.5% – in Liepāja.

In 2015 there were 1.3 million visitors hosted in accommodation establishments in Riga, which is 4.6 % more than in 2014. The number of foreign visitors in Riga has increased by 3.9%. The majority of foreign visitors came from Germany (12.4 %), Russia (12.1 %), Estonia (8.2 %), Lithuania (7.1 %), Finland (6.1%), Norway (6.0 %), the United Kingdom (5.4 %) and Sweden (5.4 %).

In 2015, 664.6 thousand Latvian residents were hosted in accommodation establishments, which is 0.4 % less as compared with 2014. Also the number of nights spent by local residents in accommodation establishments has decreased by 3.6 %. Latvian residents stayed in accommodation establishments in Riga (25.1 % of visitors), Jūrmala (8.7 %), Liepāja (7.1 %), Ventspils (5.3 %), and in Sigulda county (3.7 %).

In Q4 2015, a total of 419.4 thousand visitors were hosted in hotels and other accommodation establishments, which is 0.4 % less than in Q4 2014. The number of foreign visitors grew by 1.6 %; in turn, the number of Latvian travellers decreased by 4.5 % as compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.

During this period of time 284.9 thousand foreign visitors were hosted in Latvia, of which 86.6 % stayed in Riga, 5.3 % – in Jūrmala, and 1.3 % – in Liepāja. In turn, the majority of Latvian residents stayed in Riga (32.2 %), Liepāja (9.4 %) and Jūrmala (9.3 %).

In Q4 2015 the number of foreign visitors from Russia dropped by 24.0 %, as compared with the corresponding period of the previous year. However, still the majority of visitors of accommodation establishments came from Russia (15.2 %), Estonia – 11.8 %, Lithuania – 9.8 %, Germany – 9.1 % and Norway – 6.2 %.

BNN 

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