Analytics, Good for Business, Latvia, LIVE RIGA, Tourism

Of which 68.5% were foreign guests and 31.5% – residents of Latvia. This percentage was similar also in the previous reporting periods. The number of Latvian guests increased by 4.2% and the number of foreign guests – by 1.7%.

The total number of overnight stays in the 2^nd quarter of 2012 reached 909.6 thousand, and it is 7% more than in the 2^nd quarter of 2011. The average length of stay of foreign visitors in the 2^nd quarter of 2012 comprised 2.2 nights, which is 6% more as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

Out of the total number of foreign tourists 228 thousand or 78.2% stayed in Riga, 8.4% in Jūrmala and 2.0% in Liepāja. The majority of the Latvian travellers stayed in Riga (22.4%), Liepāja (9.3%) and Jūrmala (6.3%).

Foreign visitors in hotels and other accommodation establishments in breakdown by city in the 2nd quarter of 2012

By the end of the 2^nd quarter of 2012, 16.2 thousand rooms and 38.2 thousand beds were available in the accommodation establishments.

The total hotel occupancy rate in Latvia in the 2^nd quarter of 2012 varied from 36 – 50%. The highest room occupancy rate was recorded in June, when it reached 50.4%. In June the room occupancy rate in Riga was on average 61%, reaching even 90% in several four-star hotels. In its turn, the highest occupancy rate outside Riga was in Smiltene, Mārupe and Garkalne county, where it significantly exceeded the average indicator in Latvia.

As compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year the number of visitors from Russia increased by almost 36%, which approves the efficiency of the tourism advertising campaigns in the Russian market. The number of tourists from Japan, USA and France also increased by more than 20%.

Foreign visitors in hotels and other accommodation establishments in breakdown by country in the 2nd quarter of 2012

More detailed information will be available in the CSB database from 23 August 2012.

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¹ Each month the CSB carries out a survey on hotels and other accommodation establishments, compiling information on the Latvian accommodation establishments, excluding state specialised sanatoriums and convalescent homes, which provide public health care services. The survey includes hotels with at least 4 rooms and other collective accommodation establishments with at least 5 rooms.