Riga, March 20 (LETA) - In January this year, 69,406 foreign guests were received in the capital of Latvia, which is 34 percent more than in January last year, Martins Vilemsons, project coordinator of the external communication department of the Riga City Council, told LETA.

The fastest growth in the number of tourists came from Scandinavian countries, according to information collected by the Riga Tourism and Investment Agency (RITA).

The largest number of visitors to Riga were Lithuanians - 8,911. Guests from Estonia ranked second with 8,745, a 50 percent increase on the previous year. Travelers from the UK ranked third with 6,883 guests and a 33 percent increase. Guests from Germany in January totaled 4,589, an increase of 18 percent, while 3,450 guests arrived in Riga from Finland, up 41 percent year-on-year.

The highest growth rates were seen from Denmark with a 90 percent increase, Norway with a 75 percent increase, Sweden with 43 percent, Finland with 41 percent and Estonia with a 50 percent increase.

In total, foreign guests spent 123,626 nights in Riga, which is 35 percent more than in the same period last year. The highest number of nights spent was recorded among guests from Lithuania - 13,867 nights and from Estonia - 14,019 nights. Guests from the UK spent 12,635 days in Riga, while German tourists - 8,707 days. French tourists spent 3,066 days in Riga.

The municipality believes that Riga is successfully adapting to the global changes in the tourism industry, replacing the formerly dominant Russian tourists, which accounted for 15 percent to 30 percent depending on the season, with visitors from Western countries.

Fredis Bikovs, Director of RITA, explains that thanks to the tourist tax, Riga's marketing budget has increased, allowing for more targeted and effective implementation of the city's marketing activities. He also believes that the campaigns are effective. Bikovs promises to continue strategically with modern and dynamic campaigns that make Riga more attractive to tourists and investors.

He pointed out that RITA's role is not only to attract more tourists, but also to attract paying visitors who actively support the local economy. That is why RITA will continue to support major events such as the Rimi Riga Marathon, Positivus, Eurobasket and others.

At the same time, he said, new cultural events such as Riga Art Week and the Riga Art Fair are creating new content that strengthens Riga's cultural and artistic image, raising the city's international profile. RITA will also continue its work on the conference support program, Bikovs promised.