Rural tourism has not seen a significant drop in bookings or the number of tourists this summer, but guests have become more frugal and are choosing catering less and less often. services, Asnāte Ziemele, head of the association “Lauku ceļotājs” (Rural Traveler), admitted in an interview with LETA. Although the cost of living affects travelers’ habits, interest in recreation in the Latvian countryside remains, and the majority of approximately 30 entrepreneurs who responded to the association’s survey about the summer season indicated that the summer was not bad overall.
Tourist spending habits: saving on food and paying for activities
As Ziemele pointed out, most entrepreneurs in the survey pointed to guests’ desire to save money, which is especially noticeable in catering, where prices have increased significantly. People are better off saving on food, but spending money on activities they enjoy and are interested in,
said Ziemele, explaining that one portion of food is shared between two or even four people.
The financial pressure just mentioned is also felt by rural tourism entrepreneurs themselves, who have found themselves in a difficult situation. Accommodation prices have increased slightly, but this increase does not cover the increase in costs, and due to the limited ability of guests to pay, hosts are raising prices very cautiously. In turn, catering entrepreneurs are increasing prices in line with the increase in costs in order to avoid large losses, although even then catering is not always profitable and is often offered to attract guests and encourage them to stay overnight.
Booking patterns reveal guest demand for quality
The head of the association emphasized that hosts with a quality offer, for which guests are willing to pay more, fare much better, because Ordinary huts are no longer enough, people are demanding
. According to business owners, Latvian tourists tend to be even more demanding than foreign guests in terms of quality and offer. At the same time, business owners’ responses have not confirmed the assumption that guests no longer book accommodation in advance and prefer spontaneous trips: regular guests have also booked accommodation in advance this year, while spontaneous travelers have been few, and there have also been fewer foreign guests this season, although they have continued to visit the Latvian countryside.
Seasonal differences in regions and the recovery of the event market
A more cautious assessment of the season was received from Zemgale, but only two entrepreneurs from this region responded. Individual hosts reported a revival in demand for weddings, and one entrepreneur, who only hosts guests in the warm season, assessed the season as very successful and indicated that the next season is already fully booked, although overall events have become smaller.
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