The goal of this research is to evaluate the role of tourism in sustainable regional development in Latvia. The authors have focused on the identification and mapping of spatial structures in Latvia, choosing the most popular tourist destinations Sigulda and Ventspils cities as textbook examples of such territories. The concept of clusters has been chosen as the most appropriate theory for tourism as a tool of urban development and evaluating the spatial structure of tourism. The result of the research was the identification of a tourism cluster and mapped city influence zone in Sigulda and Ventspils, where spatial processes have developed differently. This research has not only confirmed the advantage of a cluster -the ability to attract new business innovations despite the existing competition in the area -but it has also showed the different character of urban development and integration with surrounding counties in accordance with sustainability principles.
Tourism and recreation as a driving force for forecasting biodiversity changes: Lake Engure watershed area as an example
The aim of the research was to evaluate tourism as a driving force and its pressures in the Lake Engure drainage basin area to forecast the possible long-term changes in biodiversity, in accordance with the DPSIR (Driving forces, Pressures, States, Impacts and Responses) framework, used by European Environment Agency (EEA). A map of the territory, divided into three tourism zones, was charted using secondary data sources, field research data and surveys of holiday-makers. Tourism enterprises and service providers as driving forces and the pressures created were evaluated, and statistical data on capacity of tourist accommodation, a number of people employed in the tourism industry and a number of tourists in the territory were summarised. Owners of summer houses and recreationists were surveyed in regard of their behaviour, the local services offered, the involvement of local municipality in the process and their future plans, and these factors were studied to evaluate the possible impact of second house tourism. The results indicate that tourism and recreation as a driving force is most active in the coastal zone, however, there is not a big tourist flow. In the future the territory will be mainly used for transit tourism, second-home tourism and recreation.
In 2019, Latvia drafted a National Development Plan [NDP 2027] for the next period, which also comprises actions for the development of the tourism sector. Unlike previous practices, approaches to drafting a common plan and developing and implementing tourism policy have changed significantly.The aim of the research is to describe the process of developing a tourism development plan, analyse the use of the latest planning and policy implementation approaches and evaluate the framework of the plan.A qualitative research strategy - a case study was used. The main research methods are document analysis, in-depth interviews and participatory observations.The process of drafting a new tourism policy and action plan, its main stages, tasks, methods, key stakeholders and discussions and the various documents elaborated has been summarized as a result of the research. The main problems related to the implementation of a bottom-up collaborative approach - lack of competencies of individual stakeholders, dominance of municipal interests, conviction that problems can only be solved from above, centrally, using state budget resources - have been identified.The document analysis shows that the tourism policy document drafted differs significantly from previous documents. It incorporates the need for collaboration between tourism destinations, local municipal organizations and defines productivity as a transversal criterion for action.
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