Number of tourists staying in tourist accommodations in Latvia increases every year

In 2016, 2.3 million visitors were hosted at Latvian tourist accommodation establishments, which was 7.7 % more than the year before. The respective indicator has increased by 75 % from the 1.3 million hosted in 2010.

As compared to 2015, the number of nights spent by visitors has increased by 7.5 %. The average duration of a visitor’s stay at an accommodation establishment was 1.9 nights, according to data of the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia.
 

In 2016, 1.57 million foreign visitors were hosted at accommodation establishments, and this figure has grown by 6.7 % in comparison to 2015. The number of nights spent by foreign visitors has increased by 5.9 %. Most of the foreign visitors came from Russia (208.8 thousand), Germany (187.8 thousand) and the Baltic neighbour states – Lithuania (158.8 thousand) and Estonia (145.3 thousand).
 

There has been a significant increase in the number of visitors from China (of 57.8 %), the USA (33.9 %), Israel (27.5 %), the United Kingdom (22.7 %), Spain (21.6 %) and Finland (21.5 %). Slight growth was experienced in the number of visitors from Russia – of 2.5 %. In turn, there were less foreign visitors from Belgium (by 25.4 %), the Netherlands (8.4 %), Norway (4.7 %) , Sweden (3.6 %) and the Czech Republic (3.2 %).
 

The neighbouring countries of Latvia accounted for 34.9 % of all foreign visitors – 13.3 % were from Russia, 10.1 % from Lithuania, 9.2 % from Estonia and 2.3 % from Belarus.Of all foreign visitors, 79.3 % stayed in Riga, 7.3 % – in Jūrmala, 1.7 % – in Liepāja, 1.6 % – in Ventspils, 1.4 % – in Sigulda county and 1.1 % – in Daugavpils.
 

In 2016, 730.0 thousand Latvian residents were hosted at tourist accommodation establishments, which was 9.8 % more than in 2015, whereas the number of nights spent increased by 11.0 %, reaching 1.37 million.
 

The most popular destinations among Latvian residents were Riga (24.7 % of visitors), Liepāja (8.2 %), Jūrmala (7.7 %), Ventspils (4.1 %), Sigulda county (3.6 %), Daugavpils (3.5 %), Engure county (3.2 %) and Kuldīga county (3.1 %).
 

In 2016, 85.4 % of visitors stayed at hotels and similar accommodation establishments, 11.1 % chose guest houses and other short-stay accommodation, whereas 3.5 % stayed at camping grounds and trailer parks.
 

In 2016, 1.43 million visitors were hosted at accommodation establishments of Riga, which was 7.1 % more than during the previous year. The number of foreign visitors in Riga has grown by 7.0 %. The majority of foreign visitors who came to Riga were from Germany (12.2 %), Russia (11.9 %), Estonia (7.9 %), Lithuania (7.0 %), Finland (6.8 %), the United Kingdom (6.2 %) and Norway (5.3 %).

BNN

Comment