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ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES FOR THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN LATVIA

Aija Eglīte

Abstract

Latvia is one of the greenest countries in Europe, and one of the advantages it gives is an opportunity to incorporate its nature and naturalness in tourism products. It is important for Latvia as a small country to contribute to the visibility of tourism products, which could promote sustainable economic growth. Solutions could be found within the scope of government policies. One of the objectives is to promote exports of tourism services without causing problems to the natural and social environments. In tourism policies, environmental preservation plans are of the same importance. The research aim is to characterize the tourism industry in Latvia in the context of natural and economic factors. To achieve the aim, the following specific research tasks were set: to describe the role of tourism in the national economy of Latvia; to analyze the economic and environmental objectives of tourism in national strategy documents. Research methods used: statistical analysis and content analysis. The research results have revealed that in the tourism policy documents of Latvia, the economic and environmental objectives are associated with global environmental preservation trends. In Latvia, the carrying capacity of tourism is high, and overtourism is not yet observed. Green innovations, biodiversity and preserved ecosystems, the presence of cultural heritage and traditions and carbon emission reduction are emphasized in relation to tourism. Even though the tourism industry grows in Latvia, it is required to strategically stimulate it.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2019/5.3/s21.025

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