Riga, March 16 (LETA) - The beginning of this year was significantly weaker for the Latvian hospitality industry than the corresponding period last year, Andris Kalnins (Greens/Farmers), President of the Latvian Hotels and Restaurants Association (LVRA), told LETA.

Referring to the information provided by the association's members, he pointed out that the number of foreign guests in Latvia in the first two months of 2026 was lower than in the corresponding period last year. Passenger flows at the Riga Airport show a similar picture, as the statistics for January and February this year did not show positive dynamics, while the number of passengers at airports in neighboring countries increased.

"This means that there are tourists in the region, but they are increasingly choosing destinations other than Riga," stressed Kalnins.

At the same time, Kalnins said that January and February are always the quietest months in the hospitality industry, so cities and countries that are serious about tourism development target this time to attract large international events - conferences, sports competitions or festivals - that can fill hotels even in the off-season. However, in Latvia and Riga at the beginning of this year, there were practically no such events.

He was of the opinion that this is a direct result of the fact that the hospitality and inbound tourism sector in Latvia has been neglected for years. "Funding for the promotion of Latvia as a tourism destination has been consistently cut and there is virtually no strategic approach to attracting major international events. We are now starting to see the consequences of this policy," Kalnins said.

As reported, the number of nights spent by guests in Latvian hotels and other tourist accommodations increased by 6.1 percent last year compared to 2024, amounting to 4.977 million. At the same time, the number of nights spent by foreign guests in Latvian hotels and other tourist accommodations in 2025 increased by 8.3 percent compared to 2024 to 3.076 million, while the number of nights spent by local residents in Latvian hotels and other tourist accommodations increased by 2.7 percent to 1.901 million.