1. Proximity with Russia

The Baltic country, once a former Soviet Republic, has strong links with Russia. Nearly one in four inhabitants of Latvia is Russian, rising to 38% of those living in Riga — compared with 44% who identify as Latvian. Not only Latvia’s relative proximity to the war is putting tourists off, the country’s history — and demographics — is not helping either, with many tourists fearing a move from Moscow to invade other regions that once belonged to the USSR. “At the moment, the biggest challenge is the war in Ukraine, because the catering business is very closely connected to the tourism business. In particular, group and organised tourism or business tourism have declined greatly. Latvia is relatively close to Ukraine. Maybe it looks like we’re very close,” Jānis Jenzis, founder and president of the Latvian Restaurant Association told the Latvian Radio.

2. Tourism trends

Tourism figures had already been shattered with Covid-19 leading to the closure or severe restrictions for the hospitality sector. With the war breaking on February 24, hope for recovery has fallen apart. In 2021, Latvia welcomed 1.9 million foreign travellers, a decrease of 39% compared with 2020. Now, these numbers are expected to drop even further. Latvia is a popular destination among Russians, many of whom have properties in the seaside town of Jurmala. With the sanctions imposed to Moscow, Russians are not allowed to travel to the EU, of which Latvia is part of.

The prime time to travel to Latvia usually is summertime so I would say tourism and hospitality industry will suffer this year once again.

lze Dembovska, of the Latvian Investment and Development Agency, quoted by Time Out

Confirming this scenery, the Latvian Hotel and Restaurant Association said that up to 60% of all hotel bookings have already been cancelled.

3. ’Baltic bubble’

Like during the pandemic, Latvia is hoping for a ‘Baltic bubble’ to offset the lack of foreign tourists in the country. By travelling freely across the Baltic states, its citizens can support each other’s tourism industries.

L’article War in Ukraine hampers Latvia’s plans for tourism recovery est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Can I travel to Latvia?

Entry is authorised but people coming from an country with a cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population of more than 50 for 14 days (‘red’ on the EU trafficl light system) must observe self-isolation for 10 days.

Additional conditions apply to persons employed in medical institutions, social care institutions and educational establishments who are in direct contact with other people, such as doctors assisting the patient or teachers working with children. These people will have to take the Covid-19 test on day 8 after leaving the country. If the test is negative, people will be able to return to work on the 11th day after leaving the country. If the person does not want to perform the test, then the duration of self-isolation will remain the previous one – 14 days.

1. List of countries with very high public health threat

14-day cumulative number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 population is twice as high as EU/EEA/UK average (790.0).

You have to self-isolate for 10 days after returning or transiting from one of the following countries:

• Andorra
• Luxembourg
• Lithuania
• Croatia
• San Marino
• Slovenia

Important: International passenger transportation from/to these countries via airports, ports, buses and railway is not provided.

2. List of countries with high public health threat

14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants exceeds rate 50. You have to self-isolate for 10 days after returning or transiting from one of the following countries:

• Liechtenstein
• Austria
• Belgium
• France
• Poland
• Italy
• Portugal
• Hungary
• Bulgaria
• Spain
• Netherlands
• Monaco
• Slovakia
• Romania
• United Kingdom
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Cyprus
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Norway
• Finland
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Germany
• Czech Republic
• Malta

International passenger transportation from/to these countries may be provided.

3. List of countries with low public health threat

14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants does not exceed rate 50 (or ‘orange’), therefore self-isolation is not compulsory for people coming from one of these countries:

• Vatican City State

Latest information can be found here.

4. Countries outside the EU/EEA and the UK

The list of included countries of which crossing of the external EU border is permitted is defined in the Council’s of Europe ‘Council recommendation on the temporary restriction on non-essential travel into the EU and the possible lifting of such restriction’. You may enter without self-isolation from:

• Australia
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Rwanda
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Thailand
• Uruguay

For other countries not on this list, non-essential travel is not recommended / direct international passenger transport is prohibited and 10 days of self-isolations must be observed after returning or transiting the country.

5. Registration form

All travellers, including citizens and permanent residents of Latvia must fill out a registration form.

6. Definition of quarantine

• Self-isolation must be maintained at the place of a person’s residence or another place of stay.
• Self-isolation must be maintained for 10 days after leaving the specific country.
• Stay in the place of self-isolation, do not expose other persons to the risk of being infected, do not have direct contact with others (do not welcome guests, do not visit others, do not go to work and public places where a large number of people pass through, except for visiting a store and reaching your place of residence or another place of stay immediately after entering Latvia).  Use a protective cover for your mouth and nose;
• Monitor your health, measure your body temperature in the morning and at night;
• If you have a cough, a elevated body temperature (fever), loss of breath, contact a medical professional immediately;
• Other members of your household can continue their daily activities.

If you are in self-isolation and the cumulative rate for the country you returned from does not exceed 50 per 100,000 inhabitants within 14 days (classified as red in the EU traffic light system), then self-isolation may be stopped.

7. Can I get tested for Covid-19?

Individuals may call 8303 on weekdays from 8 AM to 8 PM, on Saturdays from 9 AM to 3 PM and on Sundays from 9 AM to 12 PM.

L’article Travel restrictions in brief: Latvia 🇱🇻 est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

“We welcome the decision of the Latvian government to ease the travel restrictions in place, while maintaining safety and health of the public as its top priority,” said Martin Gauss, CEO of airBaltic. “It enables us to perform a number of additional routes vital for the connectivity of Latvia and the Baltic states.”

All passengers on board of airBaltic aircraft are provided with a complimentary basic care kit consisting of a protective face mask and disinfection wipes. The safety and health of passengers is airBaltic’s top priority. The airline has introduced strong health measures and the new flight operations follow the recommendations issued by authorities.

Passengers are strongly suggested to check the travel regulations and airport restrictions on the official websites or with local embassies before traveling are regulations might change.

L’article airBaltic resumes flights to 9 European cities est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Latvia often gets skipped by tourists. Some of them do not even take the effort to distinguish the different Baltic countries from one another, let alone they would pay a visit to one of them. Because of its location – awkwardly situated between Scandinavia, Western Europe, and Russia – it is what Americans would call a flyover state. Yet, as is often the case with these destinations, that is not based on any valid criteria at all. On the contrary, thanks to its rich history and overlooked status, it is a country where you can enjoy both culture and nature at your own pace without being bothered by mass tourism.

1. Hiding away in the woods

Wanting to escape our daily lives for a bit, my boyfriend and I decided on staying in a little cabin located a bit outside of Riga – or so we thought. ‘A bit’ turned out to be 35 minutes, yet that resulted in complete and utter calm amongst the wood, so we did not complain. Guest House Vecāķi proved to be the perfect base camp for all our endeavors. The refreshing swim during sunset in a nearby lake on the night of our arrival immediately washed away any remaining doubts, and the tone for the rest of our trip was set.

When driving through Latvia, you will notice the country being speckled with elements reminding of its Soviet past. From bus stops to water towers and memorials: they are all of a mastodon-like size to make sure they will never be forgotten. In that way, they have clearly succeeded in their goal. The World War II memorial Okupācijas piemineklis in the outskirts of Riga makes for an impressive sight, and standing next to it, I felt as tiny as never before. The emptiness of the surrounding area only emphasized the experience even more.

2. Swamps and ghost villages

Yet, as tempting as it is to forget about the nature surrounding all of these mastodons, we carried on and eventually reached our destination: Kemeri National Park. Although Latvia’s landscape is very flat, this certainly does not mean it is boring. You only have to take a few steps outside your car to realize this. On one hike, you encounter a variety of biotopes, which almost make you think you entered an entirely different country time and time again. Forests consisting of pines making their way to the sky slowly yet surely fade away. All of a sudden, you are standing on a wooden path crossing a landscape that could very well be featured in a Lord of the Rings movie – you know, the one where Frodo, Sam, and Gollum cross the Dead Marshes.

Small lakes silently lie beneath the blue sky, almost terrifyingly quiet. Now and then, our paths crossed with one of the many birds populating the area, but that is it. A desolate yet beautiful landscape, peaceful and disturbing at once. A bit further down the road, you will find wet birch woods and more open water, inviting you to pause for a minute and observe your surroundings.

The nearby village of Kemeri was once known for its healing mud baths and luxurious hotels – guests even came all the way from Moscow to enjoy the benefits of it all. It is quite clear that those times are long gone. Nature reclaimed the area, leaving visitors with an apocalyptic scenery. Abandoned homes, ruinous resorts, and overgrown roads are the only witnesses left behind. That, and a slightly sulphurous smell. You might wonder why this town has never been used in any apocalyptic-themed movie. So did I anyway, and I would not be able to answer that question.

3. Local fauna

If, besides flora and some birds, you would also like to see some bigger fauna, drive Northwards from Riga to the Ligatne Nature Trails. In this wildlife park, you will get an overview of the local Latvian species. Think brown bears, lynxes, raccoon dogs, and so on. During the 5-kilometer-long hike, you will get to know the animals from up close while also enjoying the magnificent park itself. Ligatne Nature Trails are part of the Gauja National Park, yet another Latvian treasure. There are loads of different activities across the area, yet I would strongly suggest packing a very effective insect repellent. You would not like to end up as we did – chased down a gorgeous meadow by a swarm of horseflies, trying to scare them away with a cap, only to finally flee back to our car. Just a little warning from me to you.

In my opinion, there is no better way to end a holiday than to catch a sunset on the beach. And that is exactly what we did at Vecāķu pludmale. If you are used to ever-crowded beaches where you can just barely find a place to sit, you are in for a treat. Here, you can sit wherever you want, reminiscing over your holiday that has almost come to an end. A beach like it is supposed to be.

L’article Exploring the outdoors in Latvia est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.